Say the Words
by Otterbot
Summary: Another one of those alternate endings...with some lovely Jareth/Sarah conflict thrown in! Don't judge it by its horrible summary..just try it out! ;)
1. A Reluctant Queen

**Title:** Say The Words (Part One)  
**Author:** Amber  
**Distribution:** Email me first (Arrilyn@hotmail.com), but other than that, all I ask is that my name and email addy be left attached!  
**Disclaimer:** Oh yeah, we all know this one! Labyrinth and all its characters belong to Jim Henson and Lucasfilm(s?).. I own nothing, and I'm not looking to get any profit from this story! Heh...like anyone would wanna pay to read this!  
**Summary:** Yeah, another one of those 'alternate ending' type fics, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! More conflict between Jareth and Sarah...gotta love that. ;)  
**A/N:** Other than the poem I wrote a little while ago, this is my first real attempt at a Labyrinth fanfic. I've done plenty of other types of fanfiction, but this is my first Laby one, so I hope all of you like it!!!  
  
  


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# Say The Words

  
  
"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave…"  
  
Sarah was beginning to panic. Why couldn't she ever remember that last line? It was so simple; just a few little words. But yet whenever she tried to remember the line, it slipped through her grasp like grains of sand. And now was when she needed the most to remember it, for without it, she was defenseless against the Goblin King…and her baby brother Toby had no chance of being saved. Where was that book when she needed it?  
  
Jareth sensed her weakening reserve and smiled to himself. Her time was almost up, and as soon as the clock chimed its thirteenth hour, the baby would be his…and so would she.  
  
"For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great…" Sarah murmured to herself for the third time. Jareth watched it all calmly, his earlier worry vanished. _Come come now, Sarah,_ he thought in amusement, _'You have no power over me'…that's what you want to say, isn't it? Well, my dear, it appears I certainly _do_ have power over you._  
  
As though putting some finality to his thoughts, the sound of a clock suddenly chimed through the air. Sarah's panic was fully set in, now; it glittered in her eyes like shards of ice, and drained the blood from her face to leave her skin a rather sickly shade of white. "No!" she cried. "I won't let you take Toby!"  
  
"It's too late now, Sarah," Jareth replied smoothly, his smiled widening into a self-satisfied smirk. "Such a pity."  
  
"Damn you!" she shrieked, angry tears streaming down her face. "You can't do this! You _can't!"_  
  
"Oh, really? And why not? You're the one who asked that the child be taken, after all. And now look." With an elegant sweep of his arm, Jareth gestured to a small figure several feet away. Sarah gasped when she saw the form of her half brother swiftly shapeshifting into the hunched figure of a goblin baby. "Your brother is part of my kingdom, now."  
  
"No! No, it's not true! It can't be!" Sarah rushed over to Toby, but drew back swiftly when the tiny creature hissed at her, its glowing red eyes watching her ferally. Sarah sank to her knees and stared at the goblin with an inscrutable expression on her delicate features. Jareth walked over beside her.  
  
"You asked only that I take your brother," he said. "You may go back now."  
  
"I can't go back," she said quietly, refusing to look at the man standing beside her. "I won't leave Toby. He needs me."  
  
"_You_ were not a part of the bargain," Jareth replied coolly. "Go home. Your memories of your brother will be erased, and you will never think of him again." He knew she wouldn't do as told, and she didn't disappoint him.  
  
"No." Sarah's voice was firmer this time, and she forced herself to stand. "What happened to the words you spoke just a few moments ago? Don't hold true now that you've taken my brother and turned him into a goblin?"  
  
"You want to stay here with me forever?" An eyebrow quirked up skeptically. "You were so eager to defeat me before; what has brought this sudden change?"  
  
"I'll do whatever I have to to stay near Toby. Do you accept, or do I have to find another way? I think you know by now not to underestimate me."  
  
Before she could say another word, the air around them shimmered and swirled dizzyingly. When the world steadied again, she found herself standing in the middle of an extravagent ballroom, like the one she'd been trapped in after eating that peach. She found herself wondering if this was real or only a dream. So many things had happened to her since entering the Labyrinth, and she was no longer sure about what was reality and what was only fantasy. _Nothing is what it seems in this place…._  
  
It took her a few moments, but she finally realized that there were hundreds of other people—and goblins—in the room as well. And her garb was no longer the simple blouse and blue jeans she'd been wearing before; she was now clothed in a delicate white dress, elegant in its simple straight lines and lack of embellishments. Jareth was standing beside her, still clad in the ethereal robes he'd been wearing during their confrontation just moments ago. He cast her barely a glance before turning his gaze to the room.  
  
"Meet your new queen!" he announced, his voice carrying across the room with crystalline clarity. Sarah could have sworn her heart stopped for a second. She was the…_queen?_  
  
_Of course,_ she thought, hiding a grimace. _What else do you think he meant when he asked you to stay? Did you think he meant you to be just an honored guest?_ Still, that realization did nothing to calm her. She had no intentions of chickening out and begging to go home—not without Toby—but it didn't mean she had to like her new situation. What did being the Queen of the Goblins entail? Most likely, it meant spending quite a bit of time with the King…  
  
"This wasn't a part of the deal," she muttered just loudly enough for him to hear. Jareth smiled smugly down at her.  
  
"Are you still preaching about fairness, Sarah?" he murmured. "I assure you, this 'deal' is nothing _but_ fair. I asked you to stay, and you did."  
  
"'Fear me, love me, do as I say' doesn't exactly describe the situation you've put me in." Sarah's tone became louder, as all the guests began talking and laughing amongst themselves. "It sounds more like a law you'd give your subjects, not to a queen!"  
  
"On the contrary. Don't the women of your world give similar vows when they are married? Perhaps not in the same words, but the meaning is the same. Are you having second thoughts about our arrangement now?"  
  
"Of course not." Sarah lifted her chin defiantly. "I told you, I'm only here to be near Toby. I'm not leaving unless _he_ comes with me."  
  
"And that won't be happening," Jareth replied, "so it looks as though you're going to be here for quite some time." He reached down and took her hand, leading her into the crowd. She tried to pull out of his grasp, to no avail.  
  
"Where are you taking me?" she demanded. He gave another of his infamous smirks.  
  
"To meet your subjects," he said lightly. "They are all eager to meet their new queen." Sarah nearly groaned aloud in dismay.  
  


* * *

  
"Poor Sarah," Hoggle said quietly, after Ludo had set him back on the ground. He, Ludo, and Sir Didymus were among those assembled in the great hall, but they remained at the edge of the crowd, close to the doorway. With Hoggle's short stature, Ludo had had to sit the dwarf upon his massive shoulders in order to see what was going on. And when Jareth announced that there was a new queen—and gestured to Sarah—Hoggle nearly toppled off his lofty perch.  
  
She obviously wasn't happy with her new station (that much could be seen by looking at her face), but Hoggle had a feeling he knew why she was there. She must not have reached her baby brother in time, causing him to turn into a goblin, and her unwavering sense of loyalty refused to let her abandon him. _So she's given in to Jareth,_ he thought sadly. _Maybe now she understands my position…_  
  
"We must save Lady Sarah!" Sir Didymus exclaimed, ever the valiant one. Hoggle hissed at him to be quiet.  
  
"Help Sarah," Ludo rumbled in agreement. Hoggle turned around and hit the giant beast.  
  
"Both of you be quiet!" he whispered loudly. When both friends looked at him in questioning bewilderment, he gestured for them all to leave the room. Once in the relative safety of an empty hallway, he began to explain his actions. "Sarah might be out of danger, but we aren't," he stated. Ludo drew back in confusion.  
  
"What do you mean?" Didymus asked.  
  
"We helped Sarah get here! And Jareth knows that…if he catches us, he'll put us in the Bog of Eternal Stench!!!"  
  
"Smell bad!" Ludo whined, remembering his less-than-pleasant experience there. Hoggle nodded.  
  
"So you see why we can't let him know where we are?"  
  
"But Sir Hoggle," Didymus protested, "We _must_ save the Lady Sarah! How can we do that if we must hide?" The little fox wasn't fond of hiding in shadows; the trait was one of the things that almost had the group caught at the front gates to the Goblin City…though thankfully, the guard had been a heavy sleeper.  
  
"We have to wait for her to ask us," the dwarf replied regretfully. "She's gotta do this alone, remember? But if she needs us, she'll call." At least, he _hoped_ she would.  
  


* * *

  
"Yer quarters, Queen Sarah," a goblin muttered, gesturing to a large set of doors that were bedecked with jewels. As Sarah reached out to open the doors, she looked around and realized that she was now the only person in the cavernous hallway. Where had that goblin gone?  
  
Well, it didn't matter. At least she was finally alone. She needed some time to herself so she could think…something she hadn't really been able to do since finding herself in this mess. She pushed open the doors—which, despite their size, swung open easily on oiled hinges—and walked into what was now her room. The size of it was absolutely amazing, and was decorated so differently from the rest of the castle that she knew it could have been done only by magic. There were none of the stark angles and bleak colors that casted a gloomy air about all the other rooms of the castle. This room had a high, vaulted ceiling that was made of smooth stones, and the walls and floor were made of the same material. An enormous bed was set against one wall, and curtains of a filmy white material were tied against each of the four bedposts, with a canopy veiling across all four posts. Against the other wall was set a bureau with a silver-framed mirror, and on the smoothly varnished top of the bureau were laid various items from silver-backed brushes to small bottles of perfume. Despite the situation she was in, Sarah found herself overcome with curiosity as she stepped lightly about the room, looking out the large window, under the bed, and even inside the wardrobe placed in a corner. She gasped when she saw dresses in a plethora of colors filling the large wardrobe.  
  
"But how did he…?" she began in shock, fingering the sleeve of a blue silk dress. Suddenly, she jerked her hand away and glared at the garment. "He knew he would win. That _horrible,_ arrogant—"  
  
"I'm glad you think so highly of me, Sarah," came a silky voice from the open doorway. Sarah spun around to see Jareth leaning lazily against the doorjamb, one corner of his mouth tilted up in a mocking smile.  
  
"You knew you were going to win, didn't you?" she accused, taking a threatening step toward him. He didn't seem affected by her anger. "You just bided your time, waiting for me to get here, so you could somehow make me stay! I don't _want_ to be your queen, Jareth! And I don't want to be here! It's—"  
  
In a matter of seconds, Jareth was there, placing his hand lightly across her mouth. "Don't say those words, Sarah," he warned. "You have no idea how irritating they sound. How many times have I heard you say 'it's not fair'? And when will you learn that things are not always going to go the way you want them to?"  
  
She took a step back, continuing to glare icily at him. "And when will _you_ learn that you can't win everything?"  
  
Jareth shrugged carelessly. "When I lose," he replied. "Which has never happened." He leaned closer to her and murmured close to her ear, "I always win, Sarah. This is my labyrinth, my kingdom…you really didn't think you could beat me, did you?" Straightening, he continued in a normal tone. "You should get ready now; dinner will be served shortly."  
  
"I'm not hungry."  
  
"As you wish." His tone again held that biting mockery. Sarah tried not to let herself cry before he left the room, but when he was at last gone, she ran to her bed and threw herself on it, burying her face in the pillows.  
  
"It's not fair!" she screamed over and over again into the muffling softness of the satiny cushions, letting her tears fall. Her chest heaved with the sobs that suddenly overwhelmed her, and she cried until finally she fell into a fitful slumber.  
  
Outside her room, a deep frown curved Jareth's lips as he pushed himself off the wall and continued down the hallway.  
  
  


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And there you have it! This is just part one...part two will be coming up shortly! ;) 


	2. A Gift

**Title:** Say The Words (Part Two)  
**Author:** Amber  
**Distribution:** Email me first (Arrilyn@hotmail.com), but other than that, all I ask is that my name and email addy be left attached!  
**Disclaimer:** Same as last time! Labyrinth and all its characters belong to Jim Henson and Lucasfilm(s?).. I own nothing, and I'm not looking to get any profit from this story! Heh...like anyone would wanna pay to read this!  
**Summary:** Another one of those 'alternate ending' type fics, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! More conflict between Jareth and Sarah...and this might not seem like it's going anywhere right now, LoL, but it will be!  
**A/N:** If you didn't read Part One, I suggest you go do that RIGHT NOW before you read this part! I don't know if it would keep you from understanding this part, but what's the fun of skipping to the middle of a story?? Also, the part of the story where I describe the necklace was changed, but while I can see it perfectly in my mind, it was a little hard trying to describe it! Basically, think of it this way: Y'know how crescent moon shapes are sideways, rather than up and down the way Jareth's necklace was? The open end faces the side, that's all I can say, LoL! So in other words, it doesn't look a thing like Jareth's necklace, other than that it's crescent-shaped!  
  
  


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# Say The Words

  
  
For the next several days, the entire palace was stepping lightly, for fear of bringing the wrath of the Goblin King upon them. None of them knew exactly _why_ their king was in a foul temper; all they knew was that ever since Sarah had come to the castle, he hadn't been fit to be around. Not that he was exactly pleasant even at the best of times-he still found sadistic joy in kicking the goblins around-but lately, he'd been absolutely miserable. And because everyone blamed Sarah for Jareth's mood, they stayed away from her, too. That left Sarah completely on her own, because Jareth also steered clear of her. She spent most of her time in her room, staring sadly out the window or crying on her bed. The few times when she felt the stirrings of hunger begin, a tray of food would mysteriously appear on her bedside table, preventing her from even needing to leave the room.  
  
As for Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus, she'd neither seen them nor heard from them since she'd left them to face Jareth alone. What had happened to them? Were they still alive? Did they even know what had happened to _her?_ Or had Jareth found them all and killed them for treason against his kingdom? Her heart lurched at the thought of her dear friends suffering an ill fate all because they had helped her.  
  
"What have you done with them, Jareth?" she murmured aloud, turning her gaze away from the window. Pushing herself off her bed, she walked over to her wardrobe and, for the first time in almost a week, opened the doors. She'd finally had enough of being cooped up inside her room. It was time to find her friends…the only friends she had in this place.  
  
None of the dresses in the wardrobe were fit to be worn outside of the castle. Whether they were decorated with fine gold and silver thread, or embellished with filmy trains and scarves, each and every one of them gave her away as what she now was: a queen. Sarah sighed impatiently, tossing the garments one by one onto a nearby chair as she searched for something suitable. When she came to the last dress, which was also decorated lavishly, she stamped her foot in frustration.  
  
"All I want is something simple!" she cried, pivoting on her heel and stalking toward the door. When she flung the door open, a small goblin was standing there, fist poised to knock. Its eyes widened in surprise as it looked up at her. Sarah gasped as she saw what the goblin was holding: her blouse and blue jeans. "How did you know I wanted those?"  
  
The goblin looked confused. "You asked for 'em, didn't you?"  
  
"No, I…" Sarah paused thoughtfully. "What's going on here? Whenever I'm hungry, food suddenly appears in my room, and now when I want my clothes back, you bring them to me! How is this happening?"  
  
"That, Queen Sarah." The goblin pointed at her, and Sarah looked down to find a pendant dangling from her neck. It hadn't been there before. Frowning curiously, she lifted it from her chest and tried to study it better. The long, thin chain around her neck was looped through a link melded to the top of a delicate silver crescent. The crescent-shaped pendant was similar to the one she'd seen around Jareth's neck, but daintier, and actually somewhat resembled a crescent moon. An even frailer chain than the one around her neck dangled from the top point of the pendant, and a tiny, smoothly-polished crystal hung from it, balanced perfectly between the top and bottom points.  
  
"_This_ has been doing everything?" she asked in disbelief, turning back to the goblin. The small creature nodded.  
  
"And that too, Queen Sarah," it said, again pointing a gnarled finger. This time, however, it pointed to something behind her. Sarah turned to see a new object on her bureau. It was a crystal-the same size as the ones Jareth always used-but it was placed within a golden base, held by delicate claws. Frowning, Sarah walked over to the crystal and peered into it, then gasped as she saw herself dancing in the Goblin King's arms.  
  
"What is…this…" she said, trailing off as she turned to find the goblin gone. Her old clothes had been left on the floor. "Why do these goblins keep disappearing like that?" she demanded of no one in particular. Sighing again, she retrieved her blouse, vest, and jeans, and shut the door so she could change out of her dress.  
  
So many things were going on that she just couldn't understand. How had that pendant come to be around her neck, and what was it for? And what was that crystal doing in her room? She had a faint idea; it was probably the very same crystal Jareth seemed bound and determined to give her, the crystal that would show her her dreams. But dancing in his arms certainly wasn't one of her dreams at the moment. Her dream was to get out of this place, and bring Toby-the _human_ Toby-with her!  
  
"Jareth," she murmured fiercely, "I refuse to let you bribe me with jewels and trinkets! I _will_ defeat you!"  
  


* * *

  
A small figure watched from the shadows as Sarah-who was now clothed in her jeans, blouse, and vest-searched through the various paths of the Labyrinth in search of something…or some_one._ On the creature's face was a look of distress, for it knew what Sarah was looking for, and could do nothing to help her. "I have to face him alone," she'd said, and until she called for the help of her friends, alone she would have to do it.  
  
The fact that she was searching for her friends should have been enough to bring them out of hiding, but part of the magic of the Labyrinth was the binding of words. If a person said they would call if they needed help, then no aid would be forthcoming until the call was made. Still, the small-statured creature wished he didn't have to do this to Sarah. She was his friend, and he felt the overwhelming need to help her. If it wasn't for that magic…  
  
But why wasn't she calling for her friends? She obviously wanted them…didn't she remember the words she'd spoken before leaving their company? _She always took so many things for granted…maybe she doesn't think she _has_ to call for us to be able to help her…_  
  
"Hoggle?" Sarah called out in a tiny voice, her eyes wide in a face drained of its once healthy glow. "Ludo? Sir Didymus? Where are you? Please, come out, wherever you are!"  
  
The small creature inhaled sharply with anticipation, thinking she was about to say the words necessary to free them from their magic bindings. 'I need you' was all she needed to say. Just three simple words, and her friends would once again be at her side. Her lips moved as if to say something more, but after a moment she seemed to think better of the idea and moved on, her determined pace belying the quivering note of fear that had been in her voice. Sighing, the figure melted back into the shadows to wait once again.  
  


* * *

  
"_You_ are the cause of all this," Jareth growled, staring at the tiny goblin before him with a look of utter contempt. "Were it not for you, I would not be feeling like a prisoner in my own castle!"  
  
The tiny goblin, which once had gone by the name of Toby, hissed at Jareth, bringing a sardonic smirk to the Goblin King's lips. Such a bold little creature…what it needed was a good kicking. But Jareth refrained from harming the goblin, if only to keep his new queen from throwing a tantrum. _Sarah…_ His thoughts were laced with anger and confusion. _You have asked so much from me, and every time I have done your bidding…so why do you deny me the only thing I've ever wanted from you?_  
  
Another goblin shambled into the room then, its eyes glowing an unnerving shade of gold. Jareth turned with a glare in his own delightfully mismatched eyes, but smiled slightly when he saw who it was. The small creature made a clumsy bow. "Yer majesty," it said respectfully.  
  
"Does she have the pendant?" he asked simply. The goblin nodded. "And the crystal?" Again, another nod.  
  
"Don't think she understands them though, King Jareth," it replied. Jareth chuckled.  
  
"No, I don't suppose she does," he replied thoughtfully. "Our Queen has been living in a fairy tale world for so long that she doesn't know how to act now that her fantasies have become something real. But she will come to understand the power I have given her." _I just hope she doesn't use it to destroy me…_  
  
"Yes, King Jareth," the goblin replied uncertainly, not sure what to say. Jareth waved his hand dismissively.  
  
"You may go. See that Queen Sarah does not get herself into any trouble while wandering through the Labyrinth. I'd hate to see her fall into another oubliette because she was not watching where she was going." The goblin nodded and hastened out of the room, relieved that he hadn't been forcibly _kicked_ out. Still inside the room, Jareth sighed in frustration and looked back at the human-turned-goblin.  
  
"What do you think Sarah would go through to win you back?" he murmured softly, picking up the protesting baby. "Would she go so far as to break her promise to me? You've caused a great deal of trouble for us both, you know that, don't you?" When the goblin only hissed in reply, Jareth shook his head slowly and walked out of the room. The child really wasn't worth _half_ the effort Sarah had gone through to save him, Jareth had decided, but he found her unselfish loyalty toward her brother to be strangely heartwarming. Was she this loyal to everyone she loved?  
  
"Yer majesty!" A taller goblin with a canine-like face, long white mustaches, and thin horns snapped to attention and gave a quick salute. Jareth recognized the creature as the same one who'd come to warn him of Sarah's invasion into the Goblin City.  
  
"Yes, what is it?" Jareth sighed, placing Toby on the floor.  
  
"The others-the ones who helped Sarah-"  
  
"_Queen_ Sarah," Jareth corrected.  
  
"Yes, sorry yer majesty. We haven't been able to find 'em yet. They must be hiding somewhere."  
  
_Of _course_ they're hiding! Why was I cursed as the only smart being among idiots? Goblins are only good for the simplest of jobs._ "Very well. Keep looking for them. And when you find them-and you _will_ find them-bring them to me. Unharmed. Do you understand?" The goblin saluted again and hurried off.  
  
Sarah had been forgiven for trying to defeat him, but her friends would not come out unscathed once Jareth had his hands on them. One by one, they would be tipped headfirst into the Bog of Stench, and once that was through, he'd have them cast into the lowermost regions of the castle permanently. The Bog was probably punishment enough, he knew, but he was finding himself maliciously pleased at the thought of punishing them further. Especially Hogwart (or was it Higgle?). Sarah had put her trust in that dwarf even after he betrayed her so many times, and that rankled Jareth to no good end.  
  
_But if you punish her friends,_ remarked the insidious little voice in the back of his mind, _then what will Sarah think of you? She'll think of you as even more of a heartless villain than she already does._  
  
"Then perhaps that's what I am," he said aloud, his voice cold. No mere mortal girl was going to worm her way into his affections! The Goblin King did _not_ let such petty weaknesses as emotions get in his way.  
  


* * *

  
Darkness was falling by the time Sarah came back to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth. She'd strayed far into the maze's depths, yet unlike before, where new puzzles and traps befell her at each turn, this time she always managed to find her way through. She knew who was behind it all, and the thought that the king of the goblins would be watching her as she searched absolutely infuriated her. He could stand in his castle and watch her with so cold a heart that he couldn't even deign to help her! What a cruel man he was!  
  
Frowning from both anger and weariness, Sarah wandered past the two huge doors-which once had opened only by Ludo's brute strength, but now swung open on their own-and started for her room, for once ignoring the bleakness of the castle's interior. She could feel eyes on her back as she walked, but refused to acknowledge the owner of that piercing gaze. If he found amusement at her anger, then so be it, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of even _talking_ to him!  
  
Once in the relative haven of her new room, she moved toward her bureau and picked up the crystal in its golden stand. The base was decorated with several precious gems, all smoothly polished, and even the claws holding the crystal in place seemed to glitter with gemdust. Curious, Sarah took a seat on the edge of her bed and traced a finger along the gnarled claws, then touched the smooth surface of the crystal itself. "Just a crystal, nothing more," she recited to herself, as though reciting lines from a play. "But if you turn it this way, and look into it, it will show you your dreams…" As though the words were a command, she lifted the crystal from its base and held it delicately in front of her face. The light coalesced within its diamond depths, but she saw nothing else, nothing like the images she'd faced earlier that day. Did it _really_ do what Jareth said? Or had it merely been her imagination earlier that day that caused her to see what she had?  
  
"I have no dreams anymore," she murmured sadly, setting the crystal back in on its clawed stand and placing both on a bedside table. "He's taken them all from me." Her eyes began to ache with the effort of holding back tears, and she laid back on her bed, staring up at the diaphanous canopy. "Why did I ever wish Toby away? I didn't think the Goblin King _really_ existed! I thought it was just a fairy tale! Oh, this isn't fair at all, and I don't care _how_ much those words irritate him!" She sat up suddenly and began screaming the words. "IT'S NOT FAIR! Do you hear me, Jareth? It's NOT FAIR!"  
  
The air seemed to vibrate with the power of her voice, until even the stone walls shook with it. Several floors below, the goblins stopped their activities and stared in wonderment at the ceiling, wondering what was causing the uproar. Jareth, who had been sprawled across his throne, looked up sluggishly, not quite realizing himself what was happening. When it finally got through to him that it was Sarah creating such a disturbance, he leaned his head against the hard-backed throne.  
  
"Someone shut her up," he groaned wearily, scrubbing a hand down his face. One of the more impertinent goblins actually started to get up, intending on causing some mischief, but one quelling glance from Jareth was enough to make him sit down again. "I had better see what has my queen so irritated…"  
  
He so nearly missed being hit by a flying pillow as he walked into her room that as he ducked, the missile glanced off his shoulder and fell to the ground. Sarah glared at him as he straightened, the unhappy expression only deepening when she saw his amused smile. "I'm glad you find this so funny," she muttered, crossing her arms. "What have you done with Hoggle? And Ludo, and Sir Didymus?"  
  
Jareth feigned a look of surprise. "Me? I haven't done a thing with them. In fact, I've been looking for them as well. I was hoping you might lead me to them today, but it seems they're hiding from you, too. But that doesn't matter; this is my kingdom, and I'll find them eventually."  
  
"And what will you do with them then?" He could hear the quivering note of uncertainty in her voice, even as she shot him her most defiant glare.  
  
"Punish them, just as they deserve for trying to defeat me. That's treason, as I'm sure you well know, and I won't have traitors here. They will be put in the Bog of Eternal Stench until I figure out what to do with them."  
  
"You can't do that!" Sarah protested, springing up from her perch on the bed. Jareth's eyebrows rose sardonically.  
  
"Oh, can't I?"  
  
"No! I won't let you! And…" Her back suddenly straightened. "And I'm now the Queen, so my word holds just as much sway as yours."  
  
She really _did_ look regal standing there, despite her streetclothes. A sparkle had returned to her eyes that had disappeared since she'd first been defeated. Jareth recognized that look; it was the look of spirit and determination, something he'd always admired in her. Not that he'd ever admit something like that to her. In fact, rather than acknowledge that her point was well made, he threw back his head and laughed.  
  
"Sarah, you may be the Queen of the Goblins now, but you have no more ability to rule than you did before."  
  
"But that's not-"  
  
"If you say those words one more time, I will remove your tongue." He looked so serious that Sarah actually backed away a few steps. "If this is so unfair, then perhaps you would like to share the same fate as your friends? I'm sure the odor of the Bog would suit Her Highness well." The utter condescension in his voice made the hair on the back of her arms stand on end. Why did he have to be so cruel?  
  
_Your eyes can be so cruel…_  
  
She pushed the haunting words out of her mind and forced herself to smile. She didn't realize how smug the expression was, but Jareth became intrigued by it, wondering what she was up to. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good; the expression looked too much like his own smug smile to be innocent. "Would you like to make a little bet on who finds them first?" she asked him sweetly, placing her arms akimbo. Jareth's intrigue grew. He was _always_ willing for a challenge.  
  
"And what good will it do if you find them first?" he inquired casually.  
  
"If I find them first, you must accept my rights as Queen and not harm them. And if _you_ find them first…well then, do what you like with them, and my word will mean as little as it does now."  
  
The game was far too simple. How would _she_ find her friends before he did, when it was _his_ Labyrinth? "That's it?" he asked at last, suppressing a chuckle. Sarah nodded. "Very well, then. If I win, you have no more say in what happens to your…friends. And if you win, then I won't lay a hand on them. They'll be your responsibility."  
  
"'Responsibility'?" Sarah repeated, unable to believe her ears. "Friends aren't a 'responsibility', Jareth! Your subjects are your responsibility, but not friends! Don't you know anything about friendship?"  
  
The question, though asked in naïve ignorance, struck deep. Jareth's half-smile had a malicious quality to it. "I have no need for friendship," he said quietly, his tone dangerous. And with that, he left the room, leaving Sarah feeling bewildered and, strangely enough, sad…for Jareth. What was it like to have no friends?  
  
  


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The end of Part Two! Part Three might be a little later in coming...it's essentially finished, but I need to proofread it and add some things to the end! :)  
  



	3. Mornings of Gold

**Title:** Say The Words (Part Three)  
**Author:** Amber  
**Distribution:** Email me first (Arrilyn@hotmail.com), but other than that, all I ask is that my name and email addy be left attached!  
**Disclaimer:** Same as last time! Labyrinth and all its characters belong to Jim Henson and Lucasfilm(s?).. I own nothing, and I'm not looking to get any profit from this story! Heh...like anyone would wanna pay to read this!  
**Summary:** Another one of those 'alternate ending' type fics, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! More conflict between Jareth and Sarah...and this might not seem like it's going anywhere right now, LoL, but it will be!  
**A/N:** If you didn't read Parts One or Two, I suggest you go do that RIGHT NOW before you read this part! I don't know if it would keep you from understanding anything in this bit of the story, but what's the fun of skipping to the middle of a story?? But _anyway,_ part of the beginning is a songfic in a way, because I thought it up while listening to a sound on the Labyrinth soundtrack! From about halfway through the second paragraph (the sentence that begins with 'the sun'), if you want to listen to what I listened to, then go to Track 4 ('Sarah') and fast-forward to about 1:03 (I'm being exact, hehe)...in my imagination, the part of the song at that point reminds me of good background music while she's looking out the window! ;) And now on with the story!  
  
  


* * *

  
  


# Say The Words

  
  
Sarah awoke as the vestiges of night were being slowly washed away by encroaching dawn. She'd never woken up so early before, but she'd had a fitful night of sleep…if tossing, turning, and an abundance of nightmares could be termed as 'sleep'. She was plagued by worries for her friends, her brother, and also by that strange sadness that she couldn't help feeling for the Goblin King. It was his own fault he had no friends, she understood, but she suddenly realized how absolutely lonely his life must be, having no one to talk to or confide in. Were it not for their present situation, she might have found herself trying to befriend the aloof man…but they were rivals in nearly every sense of the word, and so friendship was impossible.  
  
Tossing back the covers, she swung her legs over the edge of her bed and shivered as the floor's chill seeped through her feet. Looking down, she noticed a delicate pair of slippers, decorated with fine silver thread, which had been placed beside her bed. She welcomed their protection against the cold floor even as she wondered how they got to be there…and why couldn't they have been there _before_ this morning, since she certainly could have used them! _Must be something to do with the power from this pendant,_ she mused, walking over to the window. Pushing back the wispy curtains, she involuntarily drew a sharp breath at the view afforded her. The sun was finally peeking over the horizon, ever so slowly bathing the quaint city below with warm golden light. Building by building, the sun seemed to touch the rooftops and dispell the lingering shadows of night. Even the Labyrinth's complex corridors and passageways were burnished with golden hues, softening the otherwise harsh and unwelcome vista.  
  
_"I'll paint you mornings of gold…"_  
  
The moment should have been spoiled once those words came back to her, but strangely, it made the scene below all the more beautiful. Why, she couldn't really say, but she'd never had _anyone_ offer to do such romantic things as what Jareth had promised her in that song. The morning certainly _had_ been painted with gold, and even though she knew Jareth had nothing to do with the breathtaking view (did he?), she couldn't help thinking back to his poetic words. She wished the moment could last longer, but the sun was rising quickly now, and the warm gold accents on the buildings below had dulled into an ordinary yellow. Sarah sighed regretfully as the magic faded and turned away from the window, walking over to her bureau so she could brush her hair. The silver-backed brush glided easily through her dark locks, snagging once or twice on a tangle before continuing. She stared wistfully at her reflection in the mirror, wishing both to be home in her own comfortable room and to find out where her friends were. The only thing she could figure out was that they were hiding from Jareth…and with plans like those he had for them, who _wouldn't_ want to hide?  
  
"I know I didn't say anything to them to make them angry," she murmured to herself, her brushstrokes now completely mechanical as her thoughts strayed. "What exactly _did_ I say to them just before leaving?" So many things had happened since that time that she could hardly remember much of anything before her confrontation with Jareth. But what were the words she used? She knew words meant a lot in this world; maybe something she said was keeping them away from her…  
  
_"I have to face him alone."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"Because that's the way it's done."  
  
"Well if that is the way it is done, then that is the way you must do it. But…should you need us…"  
  
"Yes, should y'need us…"_  
  
"I'll call!" Sarah suddenly cried out, dropping her brush. She laughed out loud with relief, realizing now why she hadn't heard from Hoggle, Ludo, or Didymus. They were waiting for her to call them, and until she did, they would probably remain hidden! But now came another problem. How could she get to them without Jareth following her and somehow getting to them first? She knew he would take any advantage afforded to him, and in his mind, she was probably the best way to get to the three 'traitors'.  
  
_If I call them from the castle, they'll definitely get caught…and if I go out into the Labyrinth again, I'm sure Jareth or one of his goblins will follow me and try to catch them before I can. Maybe I can pretend I'm not looking for them, and he'll stop following me…or I could sneak out at night…_  
  
The latter option appealed to her the most. Not that she particularly _wanted_ to be out there in the dark, but at least then Jareth was likely to be asleep, which would give her a better chance at finding her friends safely. And the goblins slept whether it was night _or_ day, so she felt little apprehension about them. Besides, she'd bested them once on the way _into_ the Goblin City, so it would be easy enough to beat them again, right?  
  
"Queen Sarah," called a reedy little voice from the doorway. Sarah jumped, not having heard the door even open. "King Jareth wants to see you."  
  
"For what?" she asked, suddenly irritated. Hadn't they settled everything the night before?  
  
"Don't know," the goblin replied laconically. "But I'd get dressed in a hurry if I was you." Sarah saw the goblin leave this time, for once. She scowled at the open doorway.  
  
"I'd get dressed in a hurry if I was you," she mimicked in a similarly squeaky voice. "Jareth can wait if he wants to see me!" She put truth to her words by dressing as slowly as she possibly could. This would teach him to order her around! So far, she'd seen nothing of the 'I will be your slave,' vow, but he sure expected her to follow the 'fear me, love me, do as I say' part!  
  
She descended the stairs into the dismal main room with surprising calm, regarding Jareth on his throne with a cool glance. He looked ready to yell at her. "When I say I wish to see you," he said smoothly, though there was a hint of irritation in his voice, "I expect you to be here within a few minutes of the request."  
  
"Request?!" she repeated with a short bark of a laugh. "It sounded more like an order to me!"  
  
He didn't give her the satisfaction of a ground-out retort, instead standing up and approaching her with a slight smile. "I thought we might spend the day together," he said, taking Sarah's hand despite her protests. "I'll show you around my Labyrinth…though you already know your way through much of it, I'm sure."  
  
"You're just hoping I'll lead you to Hoggle and the others!" she accused, wresting her hand away from his. "Can't you find them on your own?"  
  
"Sarah, you hurt my feelings," he replied, his brows furrowing in a wounded expression. "If you're to be queen, you'll need to know your way around the kingdom. Unless, of course, you plan to spend your days locked inside your room. Whatever suits you."  
  
Sarah looked at him consideringly, but finally gave a consenting nod. "Okay then. Where do we start?"  
  
"Why not with the castle?" he suggested. "You've only seen a small part of it, but there is so much more that _hasn't_ yet been seen. And I'm sure you'd like the chance to figure out the room where you and Toby were reunited."  
  
Mention of Toby caused a troubled frown to crease Sarah's forehead, and Jareth instantly regretted his biting choice of words. Before she could suddenly refuse his offer to show her around, however, he took her hand again and gently began to lead her through the clutter of goblins. She followed woodenly, no longer concerned with who she was with and where they were going. Where was Toby? Was he among the jumble of goblins in this room?  
  
When she became aware of her surroundings once more, she saw that they were back in the Escher room, with its intricate maze of stairs and doors. It was impossible to tell what was up and what was down in this room; Sarah had the uneasy feeling that she could very well be standing on a wall for all she knew. She looked up at Jareth questioningly. "Why are we here?"  
  
"As I said, I thought you might like to figure out the secrets to this room."  
  
Sarah looked back to the room and fought off the feeling of dizzyness as she shook her head. "Not today," she said in a choked voice. "I don't want to be in this room. Let's go somewhere else."  
  
Jareth knew exactly why she didn't want to be in that room, and he nearly cursed himself for making yet another wrong judgment. Maybe it would have been better if she _had_ stayed in her room, but he couldn't stand the tension that had been in the air for the past several days! If she was going to remain with him, he had to at least make some attempt at smoothing things over…and so far, he was doing an unbelievably bad job. He masked his sudden diffidence with a smile.  
  
"Alright, we'll go somewhere else. I'll take you on a tour of the rest of the castle. Would you like that, Sarah?" She nodded mutely. Jareth suppressed a sigh and led her out of the room.  
  
The castle was just as big as he'd said it was, with so many rooms and hallways that Sarah knew it would be easy to get lost. And Jareth was actually being a pleasant host, which was surprising in itself. She couldn't bring herself to be completely at ease around him-after all, he _was_ her enemy-but at least he wasn't mocking her like he usually did! She found herself wondering if he was genuinely being nice, or if there were ulterior motives to his pleasantries. _I still think he's trying to get me to lead him to Hoggle and the others…_  
  
"Sarah?" Jareth's voice broke through her thoughts, and she gave a start. He chuckled softly. "Come this way. If you go that way, you'll end up in another part of the castle."  
  
"Oh." She cast one last curious look at the twisting stairway before following Jareth down the hallway. They made their way out of the castle and meandered through the city streets, being careful to avoid fighting goblins and objects that were thrown from windows. Sarah grimaced as she walked beside the Goblin King, wondering how he could tolerate these goblins. She decided to ask him as much, and he just shrugged.  
  
"What would you suggest I do with them?" he countered, casting a teasing smile down at her. She was about to respond that she didn't know, but instead decided to answer him with another question.  
  
"How many of these goblins were children that you stole?"  
  
His expression darkened suddenly, and he looked away. "Why did you have to ask that?" he demanded softly, walking ahead of her. Sarah frowned and hurried to catch up with him. Wasn't the answer to his question obvious?  
  
"I want to know how many babies you've turned into goblins," she insisted, grabbing his arm when he refused to stop. He spun to face her, his eyes glittering dangerously.  
  
"How many?" he repeated, his voice a low growl. "One. Your brother. You _asked_ that I take the child, and I did! You knew when you called for me that your brother would become a goblin! Why do you insist on punishing me for something that _you_ wanted?"  
  
"I told you that I wanted Toby back, but you decided not to listen to me _that_ time!" Sarah protested heatedly. "If you would just change him back, then I could leave and you'd be rid of me!"  
  
"Did you ever stop to think, just for once, that maybe I didn't _want_ you to leave?" he nearly shouted. In the shocked silence that followed, he turned on his heel and stalked off. Sarah stared after him slack-jawed, unable to believe what she'd just heard. When Jareth finally disappeared from sight, she managed to gather her wits enough to turn around and walk the other way. What had just happened? And what exactly did he mean by that comment? To her romantic sensibilities, the meaning was quite obvious, but since coming here, her rational side was starting to have an influence on her thoughts as well. And her rational side was having some serious doubts about Jareth's meaning. But whatever the meaning, it was obvious that staying away from the castle for awhile would be a very good idea...which presented as good an opportunity as any to call her friends out of hiding.  
  


* * *

  
"I need you…"  
  
Hoggle's head snapped up, eyes going wide as the words were finally spoken. Ludo and Sir Didymus must have heard them as well, for they were both looking more alert than they had in days. Could the two creatures have smiled, Hoggle was sure they would be doing so now.  
  
"Hoggle?" came Sarah's voice again, softer this time. "Sir Didymus? Ludo?"  
  
"What're we waiting for?" Hoggle asked, climbing to his feet. "Sarah's calling us!"  
  
"Ambrosius!" Didymus called, whistling through his teeth for his steed. The sheepdog peered around a rock, then came bounding toward the fox. Ludo had already gotten to his feet and was lumbering toward the sound of Sarah's voice, but Hoggle was well ahead of the giant beast.  
  
When Sarah saw her friends coming toward her, a bright smile lit her face. She bent down and hugged Hoggle tightly, then straightened and threw her arms around Ludo's furry body as well. "I'm so glad I found you!" she cried happily. "I was afraid I'd never see you again!"  
  
"Bah…" Hoggle grunted, trying to sound unconcerned. She saw right through the charade and grinned at him.  
  
"I missed you, too," she said teasingly. Then, with a sudden glance toward the castle, she led the group further into the Labyrinth, until they were hidden from anyone looking out the castle windows. "I guess you know what happened?"  
  
Hoggle nodded, but it was Sir Didymus who spoke. "I wanted to save thee, my lady, but Hoggle said we had to hide."  
  
"Save Sarah," Ludo echoed, causing Sarah to laugh softly.  
  
"It's Toby who needs to be saved," she told them. "He's been turned into a goblin, and Jareth won't change him back. I have to figure out how to defeat him and get Toby out of here!"  
  
"I shall fight him to the death!" came Didymus' shout, followed by several rounds of loud yapping. Sarah lunged over and put her hand across the fox's muzzle, successfully silencing him.  
  
"I appreciate your trying to help, but I don't think _any_ of us can beat him alone." She sighed in aggravation, leaning her head back against the stone wall of the Labyrinth. "If only I could remember those words! I wish I had my book with me…"  
  
"We'll help as much as we can," Hoggle volunteered, hating to see Sarah looking so upset. She smiled.  
  
"Thank you, Hoggle. Right now, you can help by keeping as far away from Jareth as possible. He's also looking for you, and if he finds you, he says he's going to put you in the Bog of Stench!" Her stomach knotted at the thought of that place. "Do you think you'll be able to stay hidden?"  
  
"The goblins have been looking for us for several days now, my lady," Didymus told her matter-of-factly. Hoggle nodded.  
  
"It's not very hard hiding from _them,_" the dwarf added disdainfully.  
  
"But it won't be so easy to hide from Jareth," Sarah pointed out. "So just be careful. I'll come back when I can."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
She sighed again. "I don't know, but the longer I stay here, the more danger I'm putting you in. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"  
  
"Be careful, my lady," Sir Didymus admonished.  
  
"I will." Sarah smiled once more at her friends and left, feeling better than she had in days. It was amazing how much brighter things became when she realized she had allies!  
  
She hadn't planned on returning to the castle right away, but as she was wandering through the streets, she noticed with some surprise that her footsteps were taking her in that direction. And Jareth was probably watching her, so it wasn't as if she could turn around and go another way. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself to whatever confrontation might be waiting for her and headed up the front stairs. The huge doors swung open to let her in, and as she strolled through, a number of goblins pushed them shut again. Sarah glanced curiously at them, but then continued on her way to her room.  
  
"Sarah." The voice stopped her cold. As she turned to face Jareth, she saw that he was already walking toward her, his gaze fixed on hers. She frowned uncertainly and took a step back, not sure what to make of the intense expression.  
  
"What do you want?" she demanded, eliciting a smile from his lips.  
  
"Only to apologize for my behavior earlier," he replied. "And also…to ask if you would join me for dinner this evening."  
  
It was on her lips to say no, but she somehow managed to keep silent. Why was he being so nice to her all of a sudden? There _had_ to be some motive! Unless she was being paranoid, and leaping at shadows which weren't there. In any event, he'd only asked her to dinner…that was harmless, right? "I guess so," she conceded at last, causing a strangely pleased glow to light in the Goblin King's eyes. But before he could say anything more, she had turned and was walking dazedly up the numerous stairs toward her bedroom. When had things suddenly slipped out of control?  
  
  


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The end of Part Three! I'm working on the next part at this very moment, so it should be out within a matter of days! I just hope I can keep this pace up! If so, this will be one of the first stories I've actually finished! ;)  
  



	4. Meet Hetta

**Title:** Say The Words (Part Four)  
**Author:** Amber  
**Distribution:** Email me first (Arrilyn@hotmail.com), but other than that, all I ask is that my name and email addy be left attached!  
**Disclaimer:** Same as each time before! Labyrinth and all its characters belong to Jim Henson and Lucasfilm(s?).. I own nothing, and I'm not looking to get any profit from this story! Heh...like anyone would wanna pay to read this!  
**Summary:** Another one of those 'alternate ending' type fics, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! More conflict between Jareth and Sarah...and this might not seem like it's going anywhere right now, LoL, but it will be!  
**A/N:** If you didn't read Parts 1, 2, or 3, I suggest you go do that RIGHT NOW before you read this part! I don't know if it would keep you from understanding anything in this bit of the story, but what's the fun of skipping to the middle of a story?? Also, sorry it's taken me so long to get this next part out...when I first started posting, I had several parts prewritten so I could just post 'em right away, but I don't have any more prewritten parts, so you'll have to wait longer for each new part! But anyway, on with the story!  
  
  


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# Say The Words

  
  
Sarah should have expected it, really. Among all the different colors of her new room and clothing, white and silver were the most prevalent. The curtains on her window and bed were white, a number of the dresses in her wardrobe were at least _slashed_ with white, and most of her other belongings were silver. So she shouldn't have been surprised when, upon entering her room, she found a white dress laid out on her bed. Actually, upon closer inspection she found it to be more of a creamy white color as opposed to the virginal white she'd worn at her introduction as the new queen, but nonetheless the color was starting to irritate her.  
  
There was at least _some_ relief to the dress, however. The bodice had been decorated with small seed pearls and fragile golden threading, and both sleeves and hem were also adorned with the twisting patterns of thread and pearls. It wasn't an unattractive dress, but why was _white_ always the color chosen for her? By the time she was married-if she ever got out of the Underground, anyway-she'd be so sick of white that she'd probably end up picking a _black_ dress for her wedding!  
  
A pair of dainty shoes had also been set out for her to wear, as well as several pieces of jewelry. As Sarah picked up the dress from the bed, she couldn't help but admire herself in the mirror set atop her bureau. All her life she'd dreamed of being able to wear fancy dresses and attending dinner parties, or of being a queen in a fairytale story, and now she was actually living those dreams. Even though she knew her story wouldn't have a 'happily ever after' ending, what small part that was left of the dreamer inside her was reveling in this moment. When she was through, she would be the culmination of every spectacular, queenly vision she'd ever imagined.  
  
Jareth was hardly inclined to disagree. When Sarah was led into the dining hall, her expression looking as radiant as the moon, he could hardly believe that this was the same girl who just the day before had been ranting about how unfair life was. Her dress fit perfectly, narrowing at the waist before flowing downward to the floor. The neckline was cut low enough to show off the delicate necklace she was wearing, and the gold threads sewn onto the dress brought out the golden accents of the crescent-shaped pendant lying against her chest. Her hair had been piled atop her head in a mass of curls, with a few tendrils left to hang freely, and tiny threads of golden wire were woven through the coiffure. She was so simply elegant that he couldn't help his sharp intake of breath at the sight of her.  
  
"Good evening, Sarah," he managed to say, standing respectfully as she approached. She smiled self-consciously and lowered her eyes to her hands, which were clasped in front of her. "I'm glad you decided to join me," he ventured, which was enough to bring her gaze back to his.  
  
"Well, I didn't feel like shutting myself in my room tonight," she replied, trying to brush off his soft words. How was it possible to arm oneself when the enemy was using kindness as his weapon? "But…thank you for the dress. It's beautiful."  
  
"I was hoping you'd like it." He gestured for her to sit down, and actually went so far as to pull the chair out for her. The room was silent for a few minutes afterward, though on Sarah's part, her silence was contemplative. Jareth found himself, for the first time, at a total loss for words.  
  
Before he could think of anything to say, their meal was served. Sarah looked at the dishes being set before her and frowned curiously. What _was_ this stuff? She'd never seen anything that looked so…well, _different!_ Her hesitance toward the food must have been noticeable, because she suddenly heard a soft chuckle from Jareth. Looking up, she blushed at his amused expression.  
  
"It won't bite you," he promised, trying to hide a grin. Sarah laughed shortly.  
  
"How can I be so sure?" she retorted, looking back down into a soup bowl filled with some sort of thick, greenish liquid. "Nothing is what it seems in this place."  
  
"Sarah…"  
  
Despite herself, she smiled at him. "Don't worry," she assured him, "I don't feel like fighting tonight."  
  
Jareth sighed relievedly at that.  
  


* * *

  
"And she just _left_ you and your father, not caring what happened to you?" Jareth asked incredulously, leaning forward with an intent expression on his face. Sarah lifted her crystal wine goblet and nodded.  
  
"I understand, though," she told him, taking a sip of the deep red liquid. "I want to be just like her someday. I want to be an actress, and see the world!"  
  
"Is that all?" The Goblin King smiled in a satisfactory sort of way and leaned back again. "You can do all that now, Sarah. You have the power to do anything you dream of."  
  
"Do I?" she replied in a suddenly preoccupied voice, her expression growing wistful. "Yes, I suppose I do…You gave me this necklace, didn't you?" Jareth only nodded, but she seemed to know the answer anyway. With a distant smile, she brought a hand up to gently touch the pendant hanging from its frail chain. "I can do anything with it?"  
  
"Anything," he agreed. "Go ahead, Sarah. Make a wish. What do you want?"  
  
"I want…" Her gaze was still unfocused as she continued to lightly finger the crescent moon-shaped pendant. "I don't know what I want…"  
  
Jareth wasn't sure to laugh or become worried. He'd expected her to say 'I want Toby back', which despite ruining a lovely evening, would have cost him the only leverage he had to keep her with him. But he'd given her the opportunity to say the words because he wanted to show her that he cared for her enough to let her go, should she still decide she wanted to leave…and she hadn't taken it. Granted, it sounded as though the wine she'd been drinking was muddling her thoughts, but even so, she hadn't consumed enough to be _that_ oblivious. He wondered what was going on, but made no mention of it. He'd given her the opportunity once, but he wasn't stupid enough to give it twice.  
  
"I think you've had enough wine for the evening," he said, drawing her attention away from the necklace. She held the goblet away from him as he leaned over to take it. A wryly amused smile spread across his features. "Sarah, don't be stubborn."  
  
"I'm _not_ stubborn," she protested, placing the goblet on the table, well away from his grasp. "Don't you think you've taken enough away from me already?"  
  
So she _did_ still remember Toby. Then why hadn't she taken the opportunity to get him back? It would have been as simple as it had been for her to wish him away in the first place! Jareth leaned back in his chair and watched the young woman with a thoughtful gaze. He knew that mortals, after being in the Underground for long enough, began to forget about their own world, but that was supposed to happen only to children, like Toby. Toby had begun to forget even before the thirteen hours were over; the younger they were, the quicker they forgot about reality and succumbed to the magic of the Underground. But Sarah was of the age where she should have retained her hold on reality. However, he reflected, despite her age, she was still a child in so many ways. Was the childlike part of her beginning to forget about her own world? The idea was dangerous and exciting all at once.  
  
"Sarah…" he began, then stopped. Instead of continuing with his train of thought, Jareth stood up. "Have a good evening."  
  
"You're leaving?" Sarah blurted out incredulously.  
  
"If I stay, it will only ruin the evening," he told her, "and I was enjoying myself too much to end it on a bad note. So I bid you good night."  
  
"Good night…" She watched him leave with a confused expression on her face. Why did he have to leave? And why did she feel so disappointed to see him go?  
  


* * *

  
The sun was well above the horizon before Sarah awoke the next day. She stretched luxuriously in her bed, feeling strangely better than she had in days. Why was that? she wondered. She hadn't really come any closer to reaching her goal, and Jareth was still obviously intent on keeping her and Toby in the Underground. So why did she feel so relaxed, so at ease in her surroundings?  
  
"Well, it doesn't matter," she stated to herself, climbing out of bed. "Today I'm going to figure out how to make this necklace work!"  
  
After bathing, she clothed herself in a light-colored dress-though what she _really_ wanted was a fresh pair of blue jeans-and left the palace. Despite the rocky projection Jareth's castle had been built upon, Sarah had discovered that there was a wide courtyard behind the intimidating structure. Of course, it was just as dead and unwelcoming as the rest of the city, but it was the perfect place for Sarah to begin testing her newly-granted powers. Could she turn a barren expanse of rocky earth into a beautiful garden?  
  
_Now, how do I do this?_ she wondered, perching herself on a flat stone. Hazel eyes scanned the area over and over again as she thought. Finally, deciding it was as simple as wishing away Toby had been, she stood up and took a deep breath. "I wish that…_flowers_ would grow!"  
  
Nothing happened. Scowling, Sarah turned away and propped her foot up on the flat rock, leaning slightly so that her elbow was resting on her knee, and her chin was cupped in her palm. The posture wasn't suited for someone wearing a dress, but she hardly noticed how silly she looked as she continued her musings. When she again turned around, her breath caught in her throat. All around her, beautiful wildflowers were blooming, their colors bright and cheerful against the gloomy backdrop of the Labyrinth. Unfortunately, she hadn't planned anything further than just wishing them to grow, and so the flowers had sprung up with reckless abandon, giving the impression of a weedy field rather than a well-cultivated garden. But still, it was a start. Pleased with her work, Sarah plucked a dainty pink daisy from its stem and tucked it into her hair, then made her way carefully back to the front of the castle. She would work with her garden more later, but at that moment, she wanted to try her luck in the Goblin City.  
  
What exactly she planned on doing _there,_ she had no idea. Jareth had told her that she had no real authority as queen, pendant or not, but if she was able to use the necklace's power, then didn't that technically mean that she _did_ have authority? Well, _some_ authority, at least. Jareth was probably just lying to her about her lack of power, hoping that she'd be too scared to defy him. Didn't he know _anything_ about her? Not that he'd never frightened her before-when they first met, she would have run screaming if it hadn't been for Toby-but by now, she knew him well enough not to fear him. If he hadn't done anything thus far to harm her, he wouldn't do so in the future…right?  
  
Very few of the goblins paused in their daily boisterous activities when Sarah walked past, and those who _did_ stop only stared at her in surprise, murmured something about the queen, and then scampered off in fear for their lives. Apparently, they were well aware of their king's malicious behavior, and assumed their queen would act the same. Sarah smiled wryly, wondering how long it would take those goblins to realize that she was as different from Jareth as the sun was from the moon. She continued her aimless meandering, hardly paying attention to where she was going.  
  
Up ahead, the commotion was so loud that Sarah ducked behind a rickety house, fearing that some sort of violence was about to take place. Peering around the corner, she saw a short, squat goblin woman shrieking frantically as a taller, dog-faced goblin pried a squalling baby from her arms. Sarah's mouth opened in surprise as she watched the kidnapping take place, but nothing prepared her for the four goblins who stormed in on their lizard-like mounts and grabbed the woman, dragging her off and away from her child. What was going on?!  
  
"Wait a _minute!"_ she shouted, coming out of hiding. The woman was gone by that point, having been pulled quickly down the street, but the canine goblin was still standing in the middle of the narrow side street. He looked at her with wide golden eyes as she approached. Sarah towered over him by several feet, glowering at him with all the menace she could dredge up. It wasn't hard to do, after she reminded herself that Jareth had done virtually the same thing to her and Toby.  
  
"Queen Sarah," the goblin gasped, his arms going slack. The crying baby began falling to the ground, but Sarah quickly bent down and retrieved him.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, holding the furry baby close to her. "Where'd you take his mother?"  
  
"I…I…" he stammered, eyes still fixed fearfully on her. Did she _really_ look that frightening? "I'm sorry, my queen!"  
  
"I wish…" Sarah trailed off musingly. "I wish for you to get lost inside the Labyrinth and never get out!" It was the worst punishment she could think of besides death, and death was one thing she'd never wish for _anybody._ Before her eyes, the ugly goblin disappeared with a frightened shout. Sarah smiled in satisfaction, then held the small baby out at arms' length and studied it. It was smaller than a human child, and furry, with big brown eyes and a snub nose. It watched her with a curious expression, its tears for the moment gone.  
  
"Hello, little one," Sarah said, smiling at the goblin babe. "We're going to find your mama, don't worry." She snuggled the baby against her once more and headed off in the direction the other goblins had gone. How far could they have gotten in this amount of time…and in which direction would they have gone?  
  
Fortunately, goblins weren't blessed with much intelligence, and so by keeping on the same street, Sarah soon caught up to her quarry. The baby's squalling began anew when it saw its mother being dragged by the arms down the street. The loud noise alerted the four guards to Sarah's presence, and they promptly turned around, two of them raising their spears while the remaining two stood off to the side and continued to hold the plump goblin woman. If any of them recognized her as the Queen of the Goblins, they made no sign of it.  
  
"Let her go," Sarah said loudly, trying to call back her intimidating expression. The goblins grunted in some language she didn't understand. "Let her go!"  
  
What happened next was such a blur that Sarah hardly knew what to think. The goblin woman began fighting with renewed energy, shouting all number of loud curses at her captors. At the same instant, a very familiar voice rose up from a nearby alleyway, followed by a sheepdog hurtling out of nowhere toward the armed goblins. Atop the dog was a small fox, his blue hat crooked and its distinguished plume falling into his eyes. Nonetheless, he charged like the noblest of soldiers, giving the lizard mounts a good thwack to the head as he went by. Sarah watched in astonishment as Sir Didymus darted back and forth, cracking a goblin on the head as he flew past once and then getting the other on his knee as he came by again. Both goblins watched in confusion, too slow to fight back.  
  
When at last it seemed that the small warrior was growing weary, a new ally lumbered out of the alley, carrying a rock in his massive hands. Before the goblins could react, Ludo raised the rock above his head and then sent it crashing down, first on one goblin's head, and then on the other. Both collapsed unconscious to the ground. In the background, Hoggle had crept up behind the remaining two goblins and successfully pulled their mounts from beneath them, using a length of rope tied around the lizards' legs. Panicked, the goblin soldiers relinquished their captive and ran off in fear for their lives. The goblin woman stood up and brushed herself off, grumbling indignantly.  
  
"Are you okay?" Sarah asked, approaching the beleaguered woman. She held out the wriggling baby. The goblin woman's eyes lit up as she took the child into her arms and hugged it.  
  
"Thank you, Queen Sarah," she said, a smile forming on her face. The timbre of her voice was mellow, but there was a gravelly quality to it that made her sound old.  
  
"I'm just glad I was there," she replied, smiling back at the woman. "Why did they do that?"  
  
The short-statured woman cast an annoyed glance at Hoggle, then pointed a thumb at him. "They thought I'd know where _he_ was," she stated, frowning in distaste. "When I told 'em I had no idea where he went off to, they said they were gonna take me to the castle and let Jareth deal with me. But they didn't have to steal my baby!" She snuggled the baby closer to her.  
  
"You two know each other?" Sarah asked in bewilderment. Hoggle rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yeah," he grunted. "This is Hetta. My sister."  
  
"You have a sister?" The question escaped her lips before she'd been able to stop it. She immediately felt foolish; why was it so surprising that he might have relatives? After all, she didn't know him that well yet, so he could have a whole _family_ hidden away somewhere, for all she knew! However, that possibility was a little _too_ unbelievable. He had been so self-centered when she first met him that there was no way he could have had a family.  
  
"He doesn't talk about me much, does he?" Hetta remarked, interrupting Sarah's thoughts. "Well, I don't talk about _him_ too much, either. Not much to talk about!" She chuckled quietly to herself, while Hoggle scowled.  
  
Sarah giggled, then looked at her three friends, who should have been hiding rather than prancing about right under Jareth's nose. "Thank you for helping me," she said, hugging them each in turn. Then abrubtly she frowned. "But you shouldn't have come here! If Jareth sees you, or if those goblins run off to tell him you're here, he'll find you and put you in the Bog of Stench!"  
  
"The Bog of Eternal Stench, eh?" Hetta was still looking quite amused with herself. "Just your sort of place, Hoggle!"  
  
"Would you be quiet?" Hoggle snapped impatiently. Hetta was unfazed by her brother's surly attitude. "Sarah, didn't you call for us? That's why we came…"  
  
"No, I…" Sarah reached up to touch the pendant hanging around her neck. "I must have been wishing for help…"  
  
"What is that, my lady?" Sir Didymus inquired, pointing to the dainty crescent moon. The crystal hanging from its top point glittered like smooth ice.  
  
"Jareth gave it to me," Sarah told him, letting her hand drop. "It has some kind of power, and I've been trying to figure out how to use it. I _still_ can't figure out why he gave it to me, though, especially when he said I had no authority as queen."  
  
Hetta stared up at Sarah as if the mortal girl was quite dense. "That's obvious," she said in her gravelly voice. It's because he loves you."  
  
  


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The End! For now, anyway...I thought this part was longer than it turned out to be (and it SHOULDA been longer, considering how long it took for me to post!), but oh well! Now it's time to work on the next part...  
  



	5. Do You Love Him?

**Title:** Say The Words (Part Five)  
**Author:** Amber  
**Distribution:** Email me first (Arrilyn@hotmail.com), but other than that, all I ask is that my name and email addy be left attached!  
**Disclaimer:** Same as each time before! Labyrinth and all its characters belong to Jim Henson and Lucasfilm(s?).. I own nothing, and I'm not looking to get any profit from this story! Heh...like anyone would wanna pay to read this!  
**Summary:** Another one of those 'alternate ending' type fics, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! More conflict between Jareth and Sarah...and things are starting to happen now!  
**A/N:** If you didn't read the past 4 parts, I suggest you go do that RIGHT NOW before you read this part! It's no good starting in the middle of a story, especially when you have no idea what's going on! ;) I hope you all like this installment...I'm starting to 'run out of steam', so to speak, but I refuse to stop writing 'til it's finished, LoL! I don't want to rush things, either, because that would just ruin the story...so bear with all the winding twists! ;)  
  
  


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# Say The Words

  
  
Sarah recoiled as though Hetta had tried to attack her. "He _loves_ me?" she repeated in disbelief. "Why would you say something like that? What does a necklace have to do with love? He doesn't love anyone but himself!"  
  
Hetta sighed impatiently. "It's not the _necklace_ that proves he loves you! It's the _power_ he's given you! King Jareth _is_ a selfish man"-Hoggle grunted agreement with that-"so for him to give you any sort of power shows that you mean a great deal to him. You can't say you hadn't figured that out already!"  
  
"No, I hadn't." Sarah tried to sound indignant at the woman's implication that she was stupid, but her response only came out sounding bewildered. Not that she believed Hetta, of course. If Jareth truly loved her, wouldn't he have given Toby back? Or better yet, he never would have turned her brother into a goblin in the first place! No, Hetta just didn't know Jareth well enough to realize that he had no capacity for love in his heart.  
  
_But do _you_ know him all that well?_ she asked herself silently. _Who's to say it isn't _you_ who's mistaken?_  
  
"Come on," Hoggle said, uncomfortable with all the talk of love and feelings, "let's get out of here before Jareth _does_ find us!" Ludo gave a rumbling agreement, and the group quickly made their way through the streets, toward Hetta's home. Sarah followed them all nervously, afraid the goblins who had run off were telling Jareth at that very moment about her friends' appearance. He had promised her that if she found them first, he wouldn't harm them, but had he been telling the truth?  
  
"Here it is," Hetta announced, frowning in puzzlement when she saw that Sarah was about to keep on walking. Giving a start, Sarah stopped moving and cast a rueful smile at the goblin woman before looking at their destination. The two-story, slightly lopsided structure was right along the edge of the Goblin City, its walls made of plaster and its roof constructed of stone shingles (half of which looked like they were about to fall off). Windows were located sparsely, their shutters hanging so loosely that they too looked ready to fall away from the house. Yet despite its faults, the house looked quaint and cozy. Hetta made to go inside, but then turned and looked at Ludo with a frown. "What'll we do about _him?"_ she asked, gesturing to her small front door. "He can't fit in here!"  
  
"He fit in the last house he went into," Hoggle countered. "Just pulled the walls apart at the corner like it was nothin' and walked in…"  
  
"He won't be pulling _my_ walls apart!" Hetta shrieked indignantly, glaring first at her brother, and then at Ludo, who shrank back in wounded bewilderment. Sarah laid a reassuring hand on his arm.  
  
"There's nothing we can do, then," Sarah said, "other than send him back into the Labyrinth to hide. Actually, I think the _three_ of you should go back, so Jareth doesn't find you. I'm sure this will be the first place he looks."  
  
"But my lady," Sir Didymus protested, "why can we not stay here and protect you? You said you needed us…"  
  
"If you get caught, you won't be _any_ help to me," Sarah pointed out. "I promise I'll call for you when I figure out what I'm doing, but right now I need you to hide!"  
  
"What is it you want to do?" Hetta asked, fixing Sarah with a curious gaze. Sarah was a little hesitant to tell, but finally decided she could trust the goblin woman and started talking.  
  
"Jareth turned my baby brother into a goblin," she explained, "and I need to find some way to defeat him and turn Toby back. But I don't know how. Well, I know if I could remember the right words to say, it would defeat him, but I can't remember the words!"  
  
"Queen Sarah, why would you want to defeat Jareth?" Hetta asked in puzzlement. "Don't you love him?"  
  
The question struck Sarah offguard for the second time in just a few short minutes. _Love_ the Goblin King? The man who had single-handedly shattered her dreams and ruined any hope of a happy life? "Of _course_ I don't love…" She trailed off, suddenly unable to finish her sentence. What was coming over her? She closed her eyes and pressed her hand to her forehead, feeling strangely disoriented. A similar sensation had swept over her when she'd bitten into that peach, but this was different somehow…  
  
"Sarah?" Ludo's wide face was filled with concern as he tugged gently on the sleeve of her dress. Hoggle and Didymus also looked worried, but Hetta almost looked smug, as if she believed Sarah's silence was due to overwhelming feelings of affection for her king. The poor goblin had no idea what Jareth was like. Sarah smiled and waved off the concern.  
  
"I'm fine," she assured, taking a calming breath. "I just have a headache, that's all. Will the three of you please listen to me and go back to the Labyrinth? I don't want you to be caught."  
  
Hoggle nodded, albeit reluctantly. "We'll be here if you need us," he told her firmly. Didymus and Ludo were quick to echo the sentiment.  
  
"I'll keep an eye on her," Hetta stated, ushering her brother away while still keeping a snug hold on her child. "Now listen to Sarah, before she gets angry!"  
  
Sarah watched as her friends disappeared into the Labyrinth, and then continued to watch the spot where she'd last seen them. Hetta tapped her arm after several moments, effectively breaking her trance. "I'm sorry…I don't know what's wrong with me today!" She smiled ruefully at the goblin woman.  
  
"No matter. We're all allowed to daydream sometimes, right?" She gestured for Sarah to enter the house first. "Why don't we go inside, and I'll make us a nice cup of tea."  
  
"You sound like that worm I met when I first entered the Labyrinth," Sarah reminisced with a smile. Hetta chuckled.  
  
"Willum? He's all the time inviting strangers to drink tea with him and his 'Missus'. Me, I only invite people who seem trustworthy. _You_ are trustworthy."  
  
"Me? Not really…"  
  
"What do you mean? You saved my baby, and you rescued me…and I know you've stayed loyal to King Jareth, no matter what you said about 'defeating him'." Hetta once again acquired that expression which clearly showed that she felt herself to be very wise. Sarah chuckled softly.  
  
"The whole reason I'm here to begin with is because I wished my baby brother away," she explained. "My parents asked me to take care of him for the night, and instead I wished for the goblins to take him! Do you think that sounds very trustworthy?"  
  
"But you came here to rescue him, didn't you?"  
  
"Yes, but my point was-"  
  
"The point _is,_ young queen, that you came back for him. You knew you did something wrong, and you fixed the mistake."  
  
"_Tried_ to fix it," Sarah corrected. "I failed."  
  
"Which is why you think you have to defeat King Jareth? To save your brother?" Sarah nodded in answer to the questions. "Pardon my rudeness, Queen Sarah-though I'm sure you won't mind-but that's one of the silliest things I've ever heard. You don't need to _defeat_ the king to save your brother!"  
  
"What do you mean? How else do you think I could save him?"  
  
Hetta paused to shrug before she sat her child on the floor so it could play. "It's as simple as telling him you love him," she replied, much to Sarah's impatience.  
  
"I _told_ you already, I don't-"  
  
"Now, I've heard quite enough of that." The goblin woman fixed Sarah with a stern glance. "You're not going to get _anywhere_ if you refuse to admit anything to yourself!" She spun around and set about making tea, while Sarah stood in silent thought. She almost wished something would happen, just to draw Hetta's attention away from the situation.  
  
Almost immediately after the thought crossed Sarah's mind, the door burst open, and in trooped six armored goblins. Hetta shrieked and rushed to her child, scooping the tiny infant up in her arms as she backed away from the intruders. "Don't just stand there, girl! Run!" she cried, her voice cracking with the strain of shouting. Sarah also began to back away, eyes wide as she watched the goblin soldiers. Stupid or not, there was a ruthless look about them that bespoke of terrible violence, and she didn't want to be a victim of that violence. As the Goblin Queen, she should have been able to order them to leave Hetta's house immediately, but instinctively she knew that they wouldn't listen.  
  
Jareth had been right. She had no authority in this land.  
  
"Sarah! _RUN!_" Hetta screamed one last time, before she herself fled the room. Sarah stood, transfixed, as emotions began to war inside her. Fear was what caused her heart to beat so fast, but anger had the blood drumming in her ears. Why would Jareth make her his queen only to keep her from having any power? The power he'd given her meant _nothing_ to these goblins. If the best she could do was grow wildflowers or make one goblin disappear into thin air, how was she supposed to intimidate _six_ bloodthirsty creatures? By conjuring _faeries_ to harass them? If Jareth was there right now, she'd give him a piece of her mind…  
  
_"Stop!"_ came the authoritative voice from just outside the house. Sarah couldn't believe her ears. The goblins, who'd raised their spears and were about to attack, suddenly began running into each other in their haste to retreat. And when the tall, imposing figure of the Goblin King ducked into the doorway, everyone in the room-Sarah included-was possessed by the urge to escape from the anger glittering in his mismatched eyes.  
  
Jareth regarded the soldiers with unconcealed ire, and he picked up the one nearest to him by the throat. "If I ever--_ever!_--find out that you've tried to harm my queen again, I will think of a worse punishment than the Bog of Stench could ever provide. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
The goblin went rigid with fear, its luminous eyes growing even wider than before. The other five who remained standing nodded and bowed anxiously. With a disgusted growl, Jareth threw the sixth goblin out the door, then stepped out of the way as the rest hurried out. He turned his gaze to Sarah, and his expression softened, if only marginally. By that point, she had regained her composure, and glared at him angrily.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked softly, trying to ignore the unpleasant emotion that darkened her eyes.  
  
"No thanks to _you!_" she spat. "They would have killed me!"  
  
"And I stopped them." He refused to let himself respond to her anger. He'd had enough of being angry with her; in fact, he was just plain tired of it.  
  
"But you shouldn't have _had_ to!" she argued. "If I'm a queen, I should have been able to tell them to stop, and they would have listened! Instead, they tried to attack me like I was some…some _peasant!"_  
  
"You're being dramatic, Sar-"  
  
"No I'm not! You know I'm right! You know that if I'd had any power at all, I would have been able to stop them, just like you did a minute ago! But instead you just-"  
  
"Enough of this." The words cracked like a whiplash, sending Sarah immediately into a state of silent shock. Jareth's strides swiftly closed the remaining distance between them, until he was so close that she could feel the warmth radiating from his body. "I am tired of the anger, Sarah, and I'm tired of the arguing. Hasn't there been enough of that? Can't we be allies…_friends?"_  
  
"'Friends'?" She pronounced the word as if it was foreign to her, which wasn't far from the truth when the word was attached to Jareth. "How can you even ask that?"  
  
"I've already told you," he replied. "I'm tired of this constant fighting between us! Why must you condemn me without giving me the simple courtesy of a second chance? Didn't you do the same for that dwarf?"  
  
"_Hoggle,_" she supplied. "He has a name. And as for chances, why do you think you even _deserve_ one? You condemned yourself when you turned Toby into a goblin."  
  
"Damn it, Sarah, I warned you at the very _beginning_ what would happen to the baby if you failed! Would you _stop_ throwing that back in my face?" Jareth bit off his next sentence, turning away from her as he fought to control his emotions. He was actually _trembling_ with frustration! How could one _girl_ do this to him? There was only one way he'd be able to stop the situation from becoming worse, and much as he didn't want it to be done, he knew it was for the best. When he again turned to face her, his face showed no emotion, not even the condescending smirk he wore so often. "If you refuse to make peace," he said carefully, "then I don't want you around. You're no longer permitted inside my castle. I don't know, nor do I _care_ if you find a place to stay, but I refuse to let you bait me any longer with your childish temper tantrums." With a grand sweep of his cloak, he left the house. Sarah stared after him with her mouth hanging open, unable to even yell after him.  
  
"I knew this would happen," Hetta said, appearing from the next room. "As soon as I heard you shouting, I just _knew_ this would happen."  
  
"Oh, Hetta…" Wearily, Sarah sank into a rickety chair and put her face in her hands. "How am I going to get Toby back now?"  
  
"Stop worrying about it, for one!" The goblin woman's brisk tone brought Sarah's face back up. "King Jareth won't touch a hair on that babe's head, I'm certain. You'll get him back, but for now you need to wait. You can stay here until his temper's cooled down."  
  
"Hetta, what's made you like Jareth so much?" Sarah demanded in wonderment. "He treats all of you so poorly, but you act like he's…well, _wonderful!_ And wasn't he the one who had you captured?"  
  
Hetta made a sound of disgust. "Of course not. It was those stupid goblin soldiers of his." She stared intently at Sarah. "I like King Jareth because I can see the good that's beneath all that arrogance. It's just for show, Sarah, can't you see that? Any emotion-except anger, of course-is a weakness to men like him. If he thinks you hate him, he's not going to tell you how _he_ really feels!" She sighed. "You really _are_ silly sometimes, girl, if you can't see what's right in front of your nose."  
  
"Whatever you think of him, he's been nothing but cruel to me," Sarah stated firmly, crossing her arms. In her heart, she knew that wasn't so. There had been several times since she became queen that he had tried to show kindness to her, in his own awkward way. And each time, _she_ had been the one to bait him to anger. But the only way she could feel safe around him was when he was angry…after all, she was unarmed against kindness. The only way she knew how to fight was with words and anger! "I have no reason to forgive him."  
  
The goblin woman shook her head sadly, but said nothing.  
  


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The next few days settled into a boring but comfortable monotony. Sarah found herself enjoying the quiet lifestyle that Hetta led. The two of them would often sit in the kitchen over cups of hot tea, watching little Rilum play on the floor or discussing any manner of topics. Once, she had asked the goblin woman if she had a husband, but Hetta only gave a noncommittal response, obviously unwilling to discuss the subject. The rest of that day had been filled with tension between the two, but otherwise, they enjoyed each other's company.  
  
Of course, Sarah couldn't resist using her necklace's power every so often, but she made sure not to let Hetta see that she was doing it, for undoubtedly the goblin would think she was doing it because it reminded her of Jareth. In truth, Sarah hardly thought of Jareth at all in the days following her eviction from the castle. Not that she _never_ thought of him, but being away from him seemed to all but banish him from her mind. She found her mood lightening, until even Hetta remarked that she seemed to be another person entirely, not the somber girl she'd been almost a week ago. Obviously, Hetta had said, this separation from the Goblin King was doing wonders for her spirit.  
  
Secretly, however, Hetta was puzzled by Sarah's sudden change in personality, and it wasn't just because of her more cheerful mood. There were times when the girl just seemed to be completely brainless! The goblin woman worried the most the day she asked what Sarah planned to do about Toby. It had been three days since the girl had made any mention of her brother, and Hetta was sure that by now, Sarah would be ready to go back to Jareth and make amends, thereby winning back the child. But when she asked, Sarah had only looked at her blankly, as if she had no idea what was meant by the question! "Toby?" she'd repeated, a curious sparkle in her hazel eyes. "Why would I _do_ anything about him?" And her tone hadn't even carried a note of teasing sarcasm, which would denote that she was just throwing Hetta's earlier advice back at her…she'd been genuinely serious! That incident, plus other smaller ones, had set the goblin's nerves on edge. Something was happening to Sarah, and whatever it was, it wasn't good.  
  
On the sixth day of Sarah's 'exile', Hetta announced that she had to leave for a little while. "Keep an eye on Rilum," she told Sarah, moving toward the front door. "I won't be gone long."  
  
"Where are you going?" Sarah asked curiously, picking Rilum up and bouncing him gently until he gurgled happily.  
  
"No concern of yours." Hetta managed a smile. "If anything happens, there's a trapdoor under that rug over there." She pointed to a faded rag rug positioned in the corner of the room. "Take Rilum and hide!" Sarah nodded and watched as Hetta left the house, then glanced down at the baby in her arms. "Where do you suppose your mama's going, hmm?"  
  


* * *

  
Jareth twirled a crystal in his fingers, watching as the light glinted and refracted off its smooth surface. He'd been watching Sarah from the day he'd cast her out of his castle, hoping to see some glimmer of regret, or perhaps even a sign that she was willing to cast their silly feud aside and become friends. He wanted so much more, but for the time being, he was willing to try friendship. After all, they both had forever, but even _that_ wasn't long enough…  
  
_What has come over you, Jareth?_ he demanded thoughtfully, holding the crystal in front of his face as he watched Sarah play with a small goblin baby. _Not too long ago you vowed not to let yourself be weakened by your emotions, and now here you are, wishing like some lovesick fool that Sarah will grow to love you. When did everything change?_  
  
When he realized that he'd fallen in love with her, that was when. It had crept up on him silently, stealthily, and then overwhelmed him with such power that he'd had no way to defend himself. Somehow Sarah, with her innocence and spirit, had slipped past every wall he'd constructed, physical and emotional, and destroyed them.  
  
But he still had pride, and therefore refused to let her see his feelings, for if she were to know, she would only laugh at him…and that would destroy him completely.  
  
  


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The End! PLEASE tell me you liked it...otherwise I'll get discouraged! *giggles* ;o)  
  



	6. The End of Dreams

**Title:** Say The Words (Part Six)  
**Author:** Amber  
**Distribution:** Email me first (Arrilyn@hotmail.com), but other than that, all I ask is that my name and email addy be left attached!  
**Disclaimer:** Same as each time before! Labyrinth and all its characters belong to Jim Henson and Lucasfilm(s?).. I own nothing, and I'm not looking to get any profit from this story! Heh...like anyone would wanna pay to read this!  
**Summary:** Another one of those 'alternate ending' type fics, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! More conflict between Jareth and Sarah...and things are starting to happen now!  
**A/N:** If you didn't read the past 5 parts, I suggest you go do that RIGHT NOW before you read this part! Also, a very big apology to those of you who were confused by my "The End!" comment at the end of Part 5! I forgot to tack on the 'for now' part after it! ;) My story is by no means over, so don't get scared! I think you'll know when it's over (at least, I HOPE so!) Thanks to all of you who have kept reading up 'til this point! :oD  
  
  


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# Say The Words

  
  
"Hoggle? Hoggle, show yourself right _now_ before I _force_ you out!" By the tone of her voice, Hetta was clearly agitated. And who wouldn't be; she'd been searching for her brother in the Labyrinth for over an hour! By now, Sarah was surely wondering what had happened, and might even start searching! There was no time to waste.  
  
"Would you quit your yelling?" Hoggle grumbled, coming out of hiding. "You might as well tell the whole _city_ where we're hiding! Now what do you want?"  
  
"It's about Sarah." That got his attention immediately. Hetta smiled briefly in satisfaction. "I thought that would make you listen." She looked around. "Where are the rest of your friends?"  
  
"C'mon…" Hoggle led the way back toward his hiding place. Ludo and Sir Didymus, who had been waiting anxiously, relaxed when they saw the dwarf return with his sister. "Now…what about Sarah? Is she in trouble?"  
  
"I don't know," Hetta replied. "But she's been acting strange, and I thought that since you knew her better, you might be able to help. It's like she doesn't remember anything anymore! I asked her about Toby just yesterday, and she replied with 'Why would I want to _do_ anything about him?' Just like she didn't even know why I'd asked in the first place! Oh, she still _remembers_ him, that much is clear, but it's like she doesn't even remember that she wanted to save him!"  
  
"Did you ask her about Jareth?" Hoggle asked. His sister shook her head.  
  
"I leave matters of the heart alone," she said proudly, unaware of the way Hoggle rolled his eyes. He knew how much Hetta loved to meddle in the affairs of others…especially when those matters were 'of the heart'. "Besides," she continued, "Sarah's been so happy these past days, I couldn't bear to bring King Jareth's name up! It always seems to make her unhappy, though I don't know why…he really _is_ a very nice man…"  
  
"Excuse me, Lady Hetta," Didymus interrupted, "but could you be imagining things?"  
  
"Yes," Hoggle agreed, "maybe you're imagining things. I know Sarah wouldn't give up on her brother. She won't stop at _anything_ until she gets him back!"  
  
"I would have agreed with you, several days ago." Hetta's coarse features became thoughtful. Every bit as unattractive as her brother, she still seemed to be the wiser of the two, and the more perceptive. "But now…well, I think if I asked her to live with me forever, she would! She seems to have forgotten her entire reason for being here, and now just wants to live with me! Don't get me wrong now; I love the girl as much as the three of you do, but I need my privacy too! She should have gone back to King Jareth well before now!"  
  
"Well, I'll come for a visit when I can," Hoggle said, "and see if there really _is_ anything wrong with the little lady. But I still think you're imagining things."  
  
"Now I know why I threw you out of my house all those years ago," Hetta commented dryly, moving toward the opening in the high wall. "You can be so _irritating!"_ When her brother only shrugged, she huffed and stormed off, back to the Goblin City. She had to get back soon, before Sarah became worried.  
  
She entered the house to find Sarah playing with Rilum on the dirt floor of the kitchen, both girl and baby laughing gleefully. Neither of them seemed to notice Hetta's entrance, until the goblin woman cried out in surprise. There were tiny _men_ dancing on her floor! Sarah's head jerked up at the loud sound, her mouth rounding into an 'o' of surprise. "Hetta!" she exclaimed, looking for all the world like a little girl who'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have.  
  
"What are these…_brownies_ doing dancing on my kitchen floor?!" Hetta demanded, casting a menacing look at the tiny creatures. They shouted something in a garbled language she didn't understand (though she could have _sworn_ they called her mother a 'fraggin' aardvark') and then ran off. Rilum started crying then, and she went over to pick him up.  
  
"I'm sorry." Sarah blushed. "Rilum was getting cranky, so I thought I'd give him something to cheer him up 'til you came back."  
  
"And how did they all get to be here?" she pressed. "They don't just come when called, you know."  
  
"Actually, they do," Sarah murmured. A long pause followed before she finally spoke again, and her voice was even softer than before. "They come when called by the queen…"  
  
"_You_ called them here?" Hetta's white brows shot up in surprise. "How?" Sarah reached into the top of her dress and pulled out the delicate crescent moon, her expression a little forlorn. A wry smile tilted the corners of the goblin woman's thin lips. "That pendant. I would have thought you'd have gotten rid of that thing as soon as you could, seeing as King Jareth was the one who gave it to you.  
  
"And what _are_ your feelings toward the king, Sarah? Has your temper cooled down since you've been here? I think it's about time you returned to him, don't you? I expect he's probably eager to have you back."  
  
"Oh Hetta, _please_ don't say I can't stay here anymore!" Sarah's eyes suddenly looked panicked. "This is everything I've ever _dreamed_ of! Everything I've always wanted is right here! It's like…well, it's like being able to _live_ my dream!"  
  
"'Live' your dream?" Something seemed to click in place Hetta's mind. Dreams…that pendant…everything seemed suddenly too obvious. It was a well-known fact that King Jareth used crystal spheres as a major aspect of his magical powers…and there was a crystal dangling from the top point of the crescent moon around Sarah's neck. From the story that Sarah had told Hetta, of the very first crystal Jareth had proffered-the one that would 'show her her dreams'-Hetta had a suspicion that that tiny crystal on the necklace was doing much the same thing. And if that were so, then it would mean that each time Sarah drew on her power, she was really delving into her dreams, becoming more and more lost to her own reality until eventually she would be living entirely in a dream world. Even to a simple goblin woman, this was obviously unhealthy.  
  
"Hetta…?" Sarah began uncertainly.  
  
"How often have you been using your power? And don't look so reluctant, girl! I know you've been using it, so how often?"  
  
"Every day," she admitted quietly, her eyes downcast. Hetta frowned. If her theory was right…  
  
"Sarah, answer me honestly. Do you remember why you're here?"  
  
"Because _Jareth_ told me I couldn't go back to the castle," Sarah replied sourly.  
  
"No, no!" Hetta shook her head impatiently. "I mean, do you remember how you came to be in the Labyrinth in the first place?"  
  
"I…" Sarah paused thoughtfully. "No, I don't remember…"  
  


* * *

  
Long after Sarah and Rilum had fallen asleep, Hetta sat in her room and stared pensively out the window. She couldn't yet be sure that Sarah's forgetfulness was entirely due to the magic of that pendant, but it was obvious that the tiny crystal had _something_ to do with the problem. Hoggle had been no help on the matter, and Hetta herself didn't know the girl well enough to think of other possibilities…who else would know what was wrong?  
  
"King Jareth." The words were spoken almost before she'd even had time to think about them. Of _course_ he would know! He was the one who had given Sarah that necklace, after all! He would know better than anybody else what was causing Sarah's unusual behavior! Jumping out of her chair, Hetta pulled on a pair of wooden shoes, threw a thick shawl around her shoulders, and crept silently from her house. She needed to talk to the Goblin King, and she was too impatient to wait until morning to seek an audience with him.  
  
As she expected, he was still awake when she badgered her way into the castle, slumping on his throne with a dangerous expression on his face. He regarded the small goblin woman with the curious gaze of a wildcat, eyes glittering in the wan light thrown from several torches. Recognition finally dawned on his features, and he smirked. "I was wondering how long it would take you to come pester me," he said, not bothering to move. "I suppose you want to discuss Sarah?"  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact." Hetta adjusted her shawl and then gave the king a scrutinizing look. "You should have taken her back by now, instead of sitting on your throne brooding!"  
  
"I am _not_ brooding," Jareth responded irritably. "I'm sitting here _trying_ to think, no thanks to you."  
  
"You're brooding," Hetta repeated succinctly. "And it's quite unbecoming of you, if you'll pardon my rudeness." It was obvious at that point that she didn't care _how_ rude he thought her to be; she was about to lecture him like some wizened grandmother, and she expected him to sit still and listen. "Why are you sitting here doing nothing, when your queen is there in the city _forgetting_ about you?"  
  
For the briefest of moments, she could have sworn she saw surprise flicker across his eyes. But if surprise _had_ registered with the Goblin King, it was gone in an instant, replaced by cool indifference. "If she wants to forget about me, then let her. I obviously don't mean enough to her for her to remember me." His next words held heavy bitterness. "I could give her the moon wrapped in silver ribbons, and it would mean nothing to her."  
  
"But King Jareth, that's just not so!" Hetta protested.  
  
"Isn't it? Has Sarah shown one ounce of feeling for me, other than anger or disgust? Does she stay awake at night and wonder what will become of the two of us? Does she mourn that there can never be love between us because she refuses to let it happen? _Does she?_ Because _I_ do!"  
  
"There's no need to yell, King Jareth." Hetta frowned slightly and backed away from Jareth, who had unconsciously risen from his throne and leaned toward her in a threatening manner. And the way he'd raised his voice…it was enough to wake the entire Goblin City! "I knew you had feelings for Queen Sarah. I think it's time you told _her."_  
  
Jareth laughed humorlessly. "And watch as she throws my words right back in my face? She's become quite good at that. She can toss my feelings aside without caring at all how it affects me, while she goes on living in her little dream world…"  
  
"That is what I wished to speak to you about. There's something wrong with Sarah, and I think it has to do with the necklace you gave her. I want to know how her power works."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I think it has something to do with a dream crystal, and if you don't stop her from using her power now, she may forget about reality completely, and live only in a dream world! I know you don't want that, King Jareth. You have to help me."  
  
"I don't _have_ to do anything." His voice lacked the conviction it usually held. "Her dreams have always been more prized to her than reality, so maybe it's a gift that she's starting to live in them."  
  
Hetta's hands clenched at her sides, and her face wrinkled up with the deep frown she suddenly wore. It was all she could do not to explode at the man in front of her. If he didn't stop this foolish charade soon, he would lose the most important person in his life! Was his pride so great that he would really allow that to happen? "Jareth," she ground out, purposely forgetting to add 'King' before his name. "I know you know that you're being stupid. If _you_ won't help the girl, then tell me how _I_ can, because I certainly don't want her living the rest of her life with _me!"_  
  
The king smiled grudgingly at that. "I apologize for the imposition I've placed upon you."  
  
"Queen Sarah is _always_ welcome as a guest, but when I promised her friends that I would keep an eye on her, I didn't mean that I wanted her to live under my roof! It's time you took her back!"  
  
"Yes, you've said that already." Jareth went back to sit on his throne again. "Why don't you ask Sarah if she _wants_ to come back? If she does, then she's welcome to. And if not…"  
  
"You _know_ she'll say no!" The goblin woman harrumphed and began to storm out of the room. "I don't even know why I came here, you stubborn, selfish man…"  
  
"Wait." The voice stopped Hetta in her tracks, but she didn't turn around to look at the Goblin King. "The only way to stop her from using her power is to take the necklace away. Bring it back to me, and I'll see if there's anything that can be done."  
  
"Thank you, your Majesty." Hetta's brisk steps quickly led her away from the castle. Jareth hadn't given her much by way of help-taking off the necklace was an obvious solution-but the fact that he'd even _offered,_ especially in his present selfishness, lifted the goblin woman's hopes. But was it too late to separate Sarah from her dreams?  
  
As silently as she could, considering her weight and the way the floorboards creaked, Hetta crept into Sarah's room. Moonlight poured through the window, bathing most of the room in its silvery glow. Sarah was curled on her bed, the thin quilts piled atop her tucked underneath her chin. Her skin was pale in the light, contrasting heavily with her dark hair, which was fanned out on her pillow. Hetta smiled at the girl as she slept, but the expression was short-lived as she remembered her reason for being in that room. She continued moving toward the sleeping queen, breathing a quiet sigh of relief when Sarah remained asleep after the covers had been moved.  
  
The crescent moon pendant sparkled brightly in the silvery light, almost in response to the moon outside. The tiny crystal hanging from the pendant was glowing a strange silvery-blue, the colors swirling in a lazy whirlpool within the glassy enclosure. Were those Sarah's dreams stirring inside the crystal? It was too small for Hetta to be able to tell. Even more difficult was the task of trying to unclasp the delicate chain around Sarah's neck, though after several long minutes, Hetta found the clasp and slowly removed the necklace.  
  
Almost immediately thereafter, Sarah's face contorted into an expression of fear, and she began tossing on her bed, throwing the covers off as she attempted to flee from some unknown terror. Hetta watched in shock as the girl thrashed and moaned fearfully in her sleep, but her eyes gradually came to rest on the necklace clutched in her hand. The crystal had gone black and lifeless, its swirls of color vanished. As the small woman began to wonder if maybe Sarah _needed_ to wear this necklace now, Sarah stopped moving, her features once again smoothing out in peaceful slumber. An aftereffect of having her power taken away? Hetta left the room with quiet steps, thoughts racing through her mind.  
  


* * *

  
"It's gone!"  
  
Sarah jumped out of bed in a panic, throwing the quilts off of her bed as she began searching for her missing necklace. She'd known as soon as her eyes had opened that it was missing; she could feel the absence where once that strange power had been. What could have happened to that necklace? The search through her bedcovers proved fruitless, as did her search underneath the bed and around her tiny room. How could she have lost it? She'd been wearing it when she went to bed, and now it was gone!  
  
"Hetta! Hetta, where are you?" Sarah rushed down the stairs in search of the goblin woman, but the house was empty. Even Rilum was gone, she discovered after a thorough search of the house. Had they abandoned her? _No, they couldn't have. Hetta wouldn't just leave like that. Maybe she's with Hoggle._ After throwing on a new dress, Sarah left the house and ventured into the Labyrinth.  
  
Hoggle met up with her as she was turning a corner, and together they went back to the place where the trio had been hiding for the past several days. Hetta was nowhere to be found, and when asked, Hoggle said he hadn't seen her since the day before. Sarah's worry began to grow; where had the woman gone?  
  
"She'll be back," Hoggle assured. "She never goes far from that house."  
  
"My lady?" Didymus interrupted, tilting his head curiously. "You don't look well…are you feeling alright?"  
  
"Look bad," Ludo agreed. Sarah chuckled.  
  
"Gee, thanks Ludo," she commented dryly. "I'm fine. I just didn't sleep very well last night. I lost that necklace…the one that Jareth gave me? It's gone, and I don't know what happened to it! You don't suppose…could _Hetta_ have taken it?" She shook her head before the others could answer. "No, she wouldn't do that to me. But it's still suspicious that she's missing along with that necklace…"  
  
"What do you care about an old necklace anyway?" Hoggle asked. "Especially when it was Jareth who gave it to you!"  
  
"I don't know," Sarah confessed. "I guess I care about it because it gave me power…and without it, he has all the power over…"  
  
Realization swept over her in a tide. The words. The words she had forgotten when she'd confronted Jareth. Good Lord, how could she have forgotten something so simple? She knew the words now! But…could she say them?  
  
"Well, well, what do we have here?" spoke a familiar, mocking voice. Sarah spun around to find Jareth standing there. Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus began backing away in fear. "Three little traitors and my queen. What shall I do with them?"  
  
"Nothing," Sarah replied, lifting her chin and staring him straight in the eyes. "You made a promise, remember? Not to harm them if _I_ found them first?"  
  
"I take it back."  
  
Smirking condescendingly, Sarah crossed her arms in her most imperious manner. "What's said is said. Such a pity."  
  
"I see your time away has done nothing to curb your tongue. Very well. It's time to leave, Sarah."  
  
Now was the perfect moment. By just saying those six simple words, she-and Toby-would be freed from the Underground forever. So why couldn't she force them past her lips?  
  
  


* * *

  
  
The End...for now! ;) Part 7 is in the works! Excuse any mistakes that were made in this part...I checked through, but I'm tired, so I probably missed something!  
  



	7. Say Your Right Words

**Title:** Say The Words (Part Seven)  
**Author:** Amber  
**Distribution:** Email me first (Arrilyn@hotmail.com), but other than that, all I ask is that my name and email addy be left attached!  
**Disclaimer:** Same as each time before! Labyrinth and all its characters belong to Jim Henson and Lucasfilm(s?).. I own nothing, and I'm not looking to get any profit from this story! Heh...like anyone would wanna pay to read this! The only characters that belong to me are Hetta and Rilum!  
**Summary:** Another 'alternate ending' fic, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! And, in regard to this part, I REALLY hope you like it anyway, LoL!  
**A/N:** If you didn't read the past 6 parts, I suggest you go do that RIGHT NOW before you read this part (especially considering this is the last part of the story)! Things happen rather quickly (and all at once) in this part, but I felt the story needed to be wrapped up because it was starting to not really go anywhere! I lost parts 1-6 because my other computer went schizo on me, so maybe this part won't make much sense? Anyway, I hope you like it, and thank you to EVERYONE who's reviewed this story! Even those of you who have read but haven't reviewed, thank you! ;)  
  


* * *

  


Say The Words

  
  
"The necklace is gone," Sarah spoke up, quickening her pace to keep up with the Goblin King's longer strides.  
  
"I know," he replied calmly, not bothering to slow down for her.  
  
"I don't know where it went or what happened to it--_you know?!"_ Sarah stumbled on a protruding cobblestone, and Jareth was there immediately to steady her. "How do you know? Did Hetta give it back to you?"  
  
"I told her to," he explained. "Apparently, it has been having some ill effects on you."  
  
"Not true! There was nothing wrong with me! If anything, I've been happier in the past days than I've been since you made me stay here in this awful place!"  
  
Jareth stopped suddenly, causing Sarah to bump into him. He turned around and faced her, his jaw clenched in an attempt to hold back his irritation. How did she manage to irk him so easily? "Let's get one thing straight," he ground out. "I gave you the chance to go home. _You_ were the one who wanted to stay; I did nothing to force you."  
  
Sarah's own frustration was rising. They always seemed to get into the same argument: he'd say something to make her bring up Toby, and then he would reply that _she_ had been the one to wish her brother away, and finally they both just got so angry that one of them stalked off. She wasn't going to let it happen this time, but how could she make him see what he was doing to her?  
  
"You might not have given me a direct order," she said at last, wearily realizing that what she was about to say was just as bad as the words she'd been trying to avoid, "but you knew I would stay if you kept Toby here. Why can't you understand? You didn't _need_ to force me to stay…keeping Toby was enough to ensure I wouldn't leave!"  
  
He understood her perfectly. He'd known from the time he turned Toby into a goblin that it would force Sarah to stay. In fact, that was the only reason _why_ he had turned the baby into a goblin in the first place! It had been a pathetic way of keeping her with him, he knew, but at the time, he had thought it to be the only way. Now, however, if he'd had it to do all over again…but he didn't. What happened was in the past, and it was irreversible. If nothing he had done so far was enough to make her stop hating him, then there was nothing more he could do. But he refused to go back on his word and let her return to her own world; his pride was rearing its ugly head again.  
  
"I'll see that your bath is drawn when we return to the castle," he replied quietly, releasing her arm as he continued walking. Sarah shook her head slowly and sighed, watching his retreating figure with bewildered hazel eyes. This man was so full of complexities that she knew she'd never understand him. However, she no longer needed to understand him; she had the one weapon she'd been searching for, and all she had to do was wield it…  
  


* * *

  
Sarah sank deeper into the steaming water of her bath, luxuriating in the warmth that seeped into her skin. The nightmare she'd had the night before-a swirl of gruesome images and incoherent words-had left her with a cold chill, and discovering the absence of her necklace hadn't helped matters. To finally be able to relax was something she needed desperately, and it seemed as though everyone was set on giving her her space, because she hadn't seen a goblin come within ten feet of her since she came back to the castle. She hadn't even seen whoever it was that had drawn her bath!  
  
Pursing her lips thoughtfully, she looked at the object couched within her cupped hands. The crystal, glittering now with beads of water on its surface, had been plucked from its golden-clawed stand, and as she looked within it, she could see faint shades of blue and silver swirling in a sluggish whirlpool. She lifted her hands higher, so that the crystal was at eye level, and continued to stare. Suddenly, she realized that the warmth seeping into her wasn't from the water at all.  
  
Her power had been returned to her.  
  
"But how…" Sarah murmured in surprise, her gaze growing distant. She was finally starting to realize something that she'd been ignoring since she first received the gift from Jareth.  
  
Abruptly, her door was opened, and a small goblin marched into the room. "King Jareth says to get ready for dinner," it said in an obviously male voice. Sarah screamed and sank herself further into the water, so that her head was all that showed above the surface.  
  
"Get out of here, you little beast!" she shouted, hurling the crystal at him. It hit him square on the forehead with a satisfying _thunk,_ and before she could find something else to throw, the goblin was half-scurrying, half-staggering out of the room. As the door was slammed shut, Sarah found herself giggling, replaying the image over and over again of that crystal colliding with the goblin's furry little head. Served him right, though; didn't he have any sense of propriety?  
  
After finishing with her bath, she clothed herself in a dress of silvery blue, and then pulled her long hair back with a simple ribbon of the same color. She wasn't out to impress anybody tonight-this dinner was simply going to be a matter of duty, and nothing more. As she walked downstairs, a tiny smile played on her lips.  
  
Jareth stood respectfully when she entered, but only nodded in greeting. Sarah could tell that he was still in poor spirits over what had happened earlier. She gave a polite nod of her own, and then proceeded to seat herself at the opposite end of the table. The last time they had dined together, he had been sitting at the head of the table, and she at the chair next to his. There would be none of that friendliness this evening.  
  
"I trust you enjoyed knocking my goblin senseless," he remarked dryly after several minutes of uncomfortable silence. Sarah couldn't sense the humor behind his words, and thus had no idea how to respond to him.  
  
"If you wanted to let me know that I was supposed to eat dinner with you," she replied, "you should have sent a _female_ goblin! He deserved to be hit like that! Don't your goblins have any manners?"  
  
"I haven't been able to hire an etiquette teacher for them." He was obviously in a sarcastic mood, and probably just so he could watch Sarah become more indignant with each passing minute. Did he know what sort of dangerous ground he was treading on? _No, of course not…how would he know that I've remembered the words?_  
  
"Then maybe it's _you_ who…" The food was served, interrupting Sarah's heated retort. Her meaning came through clearly, though, and Jareth smiled amusedly at her before he began eating.  
  
Several more minutes of silence passed, broken only by the sound of silverware clinking, and then there came a hesitant knock on the large doors to the dining hall. Jareth looked up, as did Sarah, but whereas she was wondering who could be on the other side, the Goblin King was looking expectant. Had he invited guests? Her question was answered as the doors open and Hoggle, Hetta, Sir Didymus and Ludo entered. Sarah snapped her head around to stare at Jareth.  
  
"What are you scheming?" she demanded. "We made a deal, and if you're planning on breaking it-"  
  
"Relax," Jareth said. "I thought you might like the company of your…_friends_ for dinner." He gestured to the guests, who were still waiting in the doorway. Of the four of them, only Hetta seemed unruffled at being so deep within the Goblin King's keep. Sarah almost opened her mouth to scold the goblin woman for her betrayal, but kept silent. After all, Jareth had admitted to ordering Hetta to take back the necklace. Still, that didn't mean that she'd had to listen…  
  
"Sarah, how are you feeling?" Hetta inquired, taking a seat next to the young woman. "I'm sorry about everything that happened…I was just worried about you."  
  
"It doesn't matter." Sarah waved off the apology and then smiled at her other friends. None of them fit very well at the table, Ludo because he was so big, and the others because they were so small. Despite their discomfort, though, they smiled back at Sarah.  
  
Jareth watched them from his empty end of the table, feelings of jealousy suddenly rising up within him. He'd been jealous before, when he'd caught Hoggle going back to help Sarah, but that was nothing compared to this. His queen was surrounded by friends who cared for her, while he was left alone…and the worst of it was, none of them seemed to care that they had excluded him from their happy little world. Before he made a fool of himself, he pushed himself away from the table and stood.  
  
"I have business to attend to," he announced brusquely. "Have a good evening, everyone." As he walked past, Sarah stood up and approached him, intending on asking him what he was doing. He pushed her callously aside, saying only "Go away" before exiting the room.  
  
Suddenly, Sarah was seething. How could he go from treating her kindly and begging her to let their feud end, to pushing her away and treating her no better than one of his goblins? She needed to get herself _and_ Toby away from him, before he completely destroyed their lives! Turning back to the table, she sat down and leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner. This nonsense was ending, _now._  
  
"I've remembered the words," she said simply, watching as her friends' eyes widened.  
  


* * *

  
Sarah closed the door to her room quietly after the others had filed inside, and then walked over to her bedside table to retrieve the crystal from its stand. When she again faced her friends, they were watching her with expressions of both anticipation and confusion. Hetta's face was wearing a frown of disapproval; of them all, she was the only other person who truly understood what it was that Sarah was about to do.  
  
"Are you sure about this, girl?" she asked in her gravelly voice, eyes piercing. "Is this what you really want to do?" Sarah looked down at the crystal in her hands as she pondered Hetta's question, and before long, memories came racing back to her mind…  
  
Flicker.  
  
_"Don't you know anything about friendship?"  
  
"I have no need for friendship…"_  
  
Flicker.  
  
_"If you would just change him back, then I could leave and you'd be rid of me!"  
  
"Did you ever stop to think, just for once, that I didn't _want_ you to leave?"_  
  
Flicker.  
  
_"You have the power to do anything you dream of, Sarah."  
  
"Do I?" She toyed with the pendant around her neck. "I can do anything with this?"  
  
"Anything. Go ahead, Sarah. Make a wish. What do you want?"  
  
"I…I don't know what I want…"_  
  
Flicker.  
  
_"He loves you…"_  
  
Realizing that there were tears trickling down her face and splashing against the crystal's smooth surface, Sarah banished the thoughts plaguing her. "No, it's _not_ what I want to do," she admitted suddenly, a sad smile curving her lips. "But it's what I _have_ to do. Toby was pulled into this because I was being selfish; he doesn't deserve to suffer for my mistakes. I'm going to set things to rights."  
  
Hoggle stepped forward, finally realizing just exactly what he was losing. "I'll miss you, Sarah," he said quietly. Sarah leaned down and hugged him.  
  
"I'll miss you too, Hoggle," she whispered tearfully. She quickly embraced Ludo and Sir Didymus as well. "You were all the best friends I ever had." Turning to Hetta, she chuckled softly. "Take care of Rilum, and don't let the goblins take him away again…I won't be here to rescue him this time!"  
  
Hetta laughed despite herself and wrapped her plump arms around Sarah. "I still don't understand why you're doing this, but I'll miss you, girl. You've acted more like a queen than Jareth has acted like a king. I think _he'll_ miss you, too."  
  
Sarah had nothing to say in response to that. Thinking of how coldly Jareth had treated her that evening helped to steel her resolve, so that she could do what she had to do. He couldn't care one way or another what happened to her; his treatment of her had proved that. In fact, he would probably be elated to find out that she was gone! Taking a few steps away from her friends, Sarah inhaled deeply and brought the crystal up to her face. She willed Toby's goblin features to appear in the icy surface, letting her anger continue to build up inside her. She'd need that anger to do what she had to do next.  
  
After her brother's image had faded from the crystal, she began to will a completely different set of features into existence. She imagined those mismatched eyes, those lips that were so predisposed to smirking in condescension, and that voice which could bring pleasure and terror all at once. When the image of Jareth sprawled on his throne appeared within her crystal, she used her anger to buffer her against that forlorn sense of pity she felt for him. Her mouth opened, and she began speaking.  
  
"Through hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way to this moment, to this final confrontation." She didn't know where the words were coming from, and only subconsciously realized that this wasn't a true confrontation, because she wasn't giving him a chance to defend himself. "I have proved that my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is just as great. You will give back the child that you have stolen."  
  
Her breath caught in her lungs, but she forcefully pushed out the final six words.  
  
_"You have no power over me."_  
  
The earth lurched from beneath her, and suddenly she was falling through space. Hoggle, Hetta, Ludo, and Sir Didymus were suddenly gone as she fell further into the darkness. The sound of a crying baby-Toby-could be heard, but all she could see were those mismatched eyes staring back at her with fierce sadness. Even when she blinked, the image never faded. _"You have fought unfairly, my love…"_  
  
Suddenly, all was still. She was back in her room. Sarah looked around for several dazed minutes, at first not realizing where she was. She had become so accustomed to her room in Jareth's castle, with its cool gray stone, canopied bed, and richly varnished furniture that seeing her more childish room was startling. Everything was just as it had been before she left, from the posters on her wall, to her white playacting dress discarded on the floor, to the empty place on her shelf where Lancelot should have been. She stared at that empty spot, wondering why the thought of her bear was making her so anxious.  
  
_Toby. Is he safe?_ Picking herself off the floor, Sarah dashed out the door and into her parents room, where she found both her father and her stepmother sound asleep in their bed. Stepping quietly, she moved toward Toby's crib and saw that he, too, was sleeping peacefully, once again in his human shape. Satisfied that her errors had been corrected, she stole silently out of the room and went back to her own.  
  
The first thing she saw upon reentering her bedroom was her music box. Picking it up, she wound up the player and watched as the white-clothed dancer inside twirled around to the tinkling music. The tune was hauntingly familiar…  
  


_I'll paint you mornings of gold,  
I'll spin you Valentine evenings  
Though we're strangers 'til now,  
We're choosing the path between the stars,  
I'll lay my love  
Between the stars..._

  
  
Sarah sank weakly to the floor, the music box falling from her hands to roll across the room. As she stared, the floorboards became blurred and obscured as tears clouded her eyes. She finally dropped her face into her hands and sobbed freely, as the music box played on mercilessly.  
  
"What have I done?" she whispered brokenly. The dancer in the little music box twirled on blithely.  
  


* * *

  
As Jareth sprawled on the throne, the hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle. Someone was watching him. He almost sat forward to look for the spy, but in the end made no movement. He didn't feel like doing anything except just sitting there and…_brooding,_ as the goblin woman would have put it. A rueful smirk quirked his lips; imagine the Goblin King, brooding over some _girl…_  
  
The smirk vanished abruptly, and his heart started pounding loudly in his chest. This time, he _did_ sit up, his back so straight that it looked as though a metal rod had been placed in his spine. Something was suddenly going terribly wrong.  
  
_Sarah..._  
  
He could hear the words then, the sound of her voice ringing sweetly inside his head. Each word further damned him to a life without his queen, for the more she spoke, the closer she came to gaining her freedom. As those last six words were spoken-the words she had forgotten in their first confrontation-the world around him began to tremble. But no…as he looked down at his hands, he realized it was _he_ who was trembling. Sarah had gained her freedom.  
  
"You have fought unfairly, my love," he whispered, and then she was gone. He could no longer feel her presence in the Underground.  
  
Jareth was sure at that moment that his Labyrinth was falling apart, mourning the loss of the woman who had unconsciously brought so much life to it. He scrambled up from his throne and somehow made it to a window, dreading the sight he was sure he would find. As his eyes scanned the surrounding sprawl of passages, however, he didn't see any changes. The Labyrinth would go on, just as he would.  
  
But it wouldn't be the same. His love was gone.  
  
"I'll find you again," he murmured fiercely to the red-orange sky, his gloved hands tightened into fists at his sides.  
  
Behind the castle, where the ground had once been barren and ugly, a lonely wind whispered through the wildflowers.  
  
  


* * *

  
THE END! *frantically attempts to dodge the rotten peaches being thrown her way* I can't imagine many of you are happy with this ending...but I've had this ending in mind from the very first part of the story! I love to _write_ stories like these, with the unconventional endings, but to actually _read_ stories like that...well, it would inspire me to write my own fanfic _about_ the fanfic, LoL! But fear not, I stuck with this ending (even when I desperately wanted Jareth and Sarah to just make amends and live 'happily ever after') so that I could write a sequel! And that's what I'm in the process of doing now! :) Expect Part One to be out within the next week or so!  



End file.
